Paul Cézanne is widely regarded as one of the most influential artists in history. His contribution to 19th century art is so significant that he has been called the "father of modern art". A key figure in the Impressionist movement, Cézanne's work often reflects his love of nature and its unparalleled beauty.

The Impressionist art movement originated in France at the end of the 19th century and aimed to challenge the traditional approach to the representation of reality through painting. In general, Impressionist works emphasise light and colour and often feature free brushstrokes, fragmented perspectives and never-before-seen subjects.

Claude Monet was a famous 19th century French Impressionist painter, known for his radical use of light and colour to create beautiful compositions centred on nature. Born in 1874, he began painting at a young age, selling his first works as he entered the École des Beaux-Arts in 1869. He met other painters who would soon become known as Impressionists, such as Paul Cézanne and Vincent Van Gogh, often joining them in plein air (painting in the open air) for inspiration and reference material.

Paul Signac was a French painter born in 1863. He is best known for his use of the pointillism technique, which involves painting with small dots of colour. This technique was developed by Signac and Georges Seurat, who were the first two artists to use it. Signac's paintings are characterised by their vivid colours and powerful brushstrokes. He often used a palette knife to apply the paint to his canvases, resulting in bold, textured brushstrokes.

Vasily Kandinsky was a 20th century painter who was one of the first to develop pure abstract art. His paintings are characterised by bold, unrestrained colours and energetic brushstrokes. Kandinsky believed that colour could be used to express emotions and convey spiritual messages.