<P> Prior to the Impressionists , other painters , notably such 17th - century Dutch painters as Jan Steen , had emphasized common subjects , but their methods of composition were traditional . They arranged their compositions so that the main subject commanded the viewer 's attention . The Impressionists relaxed the boundary between subject and background so that the effect of an Impressionist painting often resembles a snapshot , a part of a larger reality captured as if by chance . Photography was gaining popularity , and as cameras became more portable , photographs became more candid . Photography inspired Impressionists to represent momentary action , not only in the fleeting lights of a landscape , but in the day - to - day lives of people . </P>
in the 19th century in france what gave impressionist painters so much new subject matter
Photography