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Why did early critics react negatively to Impressionist paintings?

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Painting by Gustave Courbet showing the artist at his easel in a crowded studio, surrounded by figures including a nude model, onlookers, and a child with a white dog. — Art criticism *The Painter's Studio*, oil on canvas by Gustave Courbet, 1854–55, in the Musée d'Orsay, Paris, France.

Early critics reacted negatively to Impressionist paintings primarily because the movement’s radical departure from established academic traditions challenged prevailing standards of finish, subject matter, and artistic purpose.12

Key reasons for this critical disdain included:

Lack of Finish: Critics often viewed the Impressionists' visible, rapid brushwork as "sketchy" or incomplete. Unlike the polished, illusionistic surfaces favored by the official Salon, Impressionist paintings emphasized the raw application of paint, which many contemporaries perceived as a lack of technical skill or "ugliness".23
Rejection of Tradition: By focusing on ephemeral moments and modern life rather than historical, mythological, or religious subjects, the Impressionists broke from the academic hierarchy of art. This shift was seen as a subversion of the establishment's values.12
The "Sensation" vs. The Subject: While some critics, such as Castagnary, eventually recognized that the lack of finish was an intentional attempt to capture the "sensation" of a scene, many initial reviewers were unable or unwilling to accept this new avant-garde focus on personal expression over traditional representation.2

The term "Impressionist" itself was coined by critic Louis Leroy as a label of contempt, highlighting the initial hostility toward the movement's radical aesthetic.2