What is meant by Impressionism?

Uli Ehret has always been fascinated by Impressionist painting, particularly the ‘apparent movement of the wind’ in Monet’s Woman with a Parasol and Van Gogh’s use of colour in many of his oil paintings. In a sense, Impressionism simplifies the subject matter – it is by no means seeking a highly realistic depiction, as is often the case with modern airbrush techniques, for example. Rather, the Impressionist painter seeks a simplification that reveals more than a realistic representation ever could. Most of the subjects in Uli Ehret’s paintings are vehicles. Following his studies in graphic design from 1986 to 1990, his aim has always been to capture the emotional aspects of motor racing in his paintings. Extreme sounds, breakneck pace and extraordinary lighting effects – how does one capture them in a painting?

Uli Ehret's answer

Uli Ehret found his own answer in 1998 with the watercolour ‘Auto Union Hillclimb Car’ (#0004) shown above. For some of his clients, it represents the pinnacle – or at least one of the pinnacles – of his painting. What makes this Impressionist? The reduction of the tyres to partly irregular circles, the seemingly random splashes beneath the vehicle, the rough handling of form and colour. Depicting the moment, the impression of an instant – this is achieved through the tyres lifting off the ground – with just one tyre keeping the silver body on the ground. The whole thing is painted quite roughly – but it is entirely sufficient to convey the emotions of a car pushed to its limits, for both driver and spectators. Furthermore, the watercolours come across as genuine art rather than mere posters. They do not give the viewer the impression of having been ‘painted from a photograph’ – instead, they play a role all of their own.

Der car in the spotlight

1 21

Cars fighting for positions

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Through the night

The whole collection

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