The origin of modernism can be traced back to impressionism in France. From 65438 to 1980s, French post-impressionism, neo-impressionism and symbolism painters put forward the concepts of "independent value of artistic language itself", "painting should not be a servant of nature", "painting should get rid of dependence on literature and history" and "art for art's sake", which are the theoretical basis of modernist art system.

Modernist art is not formed out of thin air, it has a historical origin with traditional art, and most of the traditional art in Europe is based on realism. As a visual art, the original purpose of art is to describe or reproduce some aspects of the real world or the unreal world. From prehistoric rock paintings to ancient Greece and Rome, it gradually changed from "stylization" to "realism" With the continuous continuation and development of history, in the first half of the19th century, artists in various periods changed their styles and schools, and they never broke away from the tradition of "realism" until the appearance of Impressionism. In fact, impressionist painters also followed the tradition of "realism" accurately, but they turned the primitive realism of "form" into the realism of "light", and they emphasized "emphasis". It was the post-impressionist painters who really broke through the traditional realism. Their feelings and attitudes towards the object have gradually divorced from the objective, and they are pursuing the expression of subjective feelings and new artistic forms. This creative way is advocated and carried forward by modernist art, and it is the real beginning of western modernist art.