Painting style that emphasizes a particular clarity of light.
It is characteristic of the works of a group of U.S. painters of the late 19th century, influenced by the Hudson River school . Typically landscapes or seascapes, with sky occupying nearly half the composition, luminist works are distinguished by cool, clear colours and meticulously detailed objects modeled by light. The most prominent luminist painters were John Frederick Kensett, Martin Johnson Heade , and Fitz Hugh Lane.