ELI5: What Is the Difference Between Impressionism and Expressionism?

Impressionism is about showing how the outside world looks to your eyes at a specific moment, while Expressionism is about showing how the world feels inside your heart.

Imagine looking at a rainy day through your living room window:

• The Impressionist way: You notice how the raindrops sparkle against the glass, how the puddles reflect the cloudy sky, and how the streetlights look blurry in the mist. You try to capture that exact, quick visual moment of how light and weather change what you see outside.
• The Expressionist way: You look at the very same rain, but it makes you feel lonely and sad. Instead of painting the rain as it truly looks, you might draw a twisted, crooked tree, use deep gloomy colors like dark purple and angry black, and paint heavy, sharp lines to show your sorrow.

• Going to a busy amusement park: An Impressionist wants to capture the quick flickers of sunlight on the spinning rides and the bright, blurry colors of the crowd moving past. An Expressionist wants to show the pure adrenaline and dizziness, using wild, swirling shapes, screaming faces, and shocking neon colors that capture the overwhelming excitement.
• Looking at a pet cat: An Impressionist paints the soft texture of the cat's fur and the warm patches of afternoon sun resting on its back. An Expressionist paints a friendly, gentle cat in soft, warm, glowing pinks to show love, or a wild, jagged, electric-yellow cat with giant eyes to show how fierce and energetic the cat feels.