From the Beginning Renaissance

Before the impressionism began the styles of painting were confined to, as being described as looking through a window. This style of art stretches all the way back to the origins of the renaissance, where perspective and realism was key to the beautiful works. The painters of the Renaissance tried to make their paintings as realistic as possible, in effect making illusion reality. Painters would regularly have many rough draft of a painting, before painting the final work. The principles of Renaissance art would stay with the artist of Europe until the Franco-Prussian War.

You can see the change in the the style of Botticelli, as apposed to Van Gogh. The art seems nothing alike, but the art from Van Gogh, as in Starry Night, is not quite impressionism because light and shadow isn't used and it is obviously sought out and planned as a painting.