Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary - impressionism

 noun  Date: 1882  1. often capitalized a theory or practice in painting especially among French painters of about 1870 of depicting the natural appearances of objects by means of dabs or strokes of primary unmixed colors in order to simulate actual reflected light  2.  a. the depiction (as in literature) of scene, emotion, or character by details intended to achieve a vividness or effectiveness more by evoking subjective and sensory impressions than by recreating an objective reality  b. a style of musical composition designed to create subtle moods and impressions