Although the Impressionist movement was not exclusively made up of French people, it did start in France. The French Revolution of 1789 brought world-wide class upheaval, but it took place in France first. This
pre-eminence in social progression meant that societal arts were to develop with greater speed and diversity there then in other European countries.
While England's staggering production levels in newly established factories were sufficient for it to be labeled the "production capital of the world," the birth and nurturing of the Impressionist movement required the cultural climate of France.
It is interesting to note how preceding artistic styles encouraged and made way for one another and how these, in turn lead to Impressionism.
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