Here’s a great quote from the painter Paul Cézanne on the meaning of Impressionism.

“For an Impressionist to paint from nature is not to paint the subject, but to realize sensations.” – Paul Cézanne

Still Life with Apples and Peaches, Paul Cézanne, 1905

In his book, What Are You Looking At?, Will Gompertz writes, “Still Life with Apples and Peaches is a painting that demonstrates how Cézanne changed art forever. His abandonment of traditional perspective in favor of a commitment to overall pictorial design and the introduction of binocular vision led directly to Cubism (where almost all illusion of three dimensions was abandoned in preference for maximizing visual information), Futurism, Constructivism and the decorative art of Matisse.”

This is a great book on Modern and Contemporary Art that will give you an excellent understanding of Art History and the various movements that have taken place from pre-Impressionism to the present day.

Here are some books on art and Paul Cézanne I recommend.