Societies Reaction to Impressionism

Like all new things, there was heavy resistance to Impressionist style works. The salons of Paris (the most powerful art society of it's time) refused to acknowledge the artwork, labeling it as sloppy and lazy art, not worthy of recognition. This verdict by salons made their art unpopular and the artist themselves, impoverished, (the term hungry artist applies.) The art the salons were famous for excepting were portraits in the Renaissance style. The Impressionist, mainly painting non-portrait people or landscape were not eligible for these spots.

as you can see in this portrait painted in 1870, it looks like it was seen through a window, unlike the impressionist whose portraits or self-portraits look like they are seen at a glance.