The renewal of watercolor painting in France in the 19th century came about through the rediscovery of British landscape artists such as Bonington and Turner. Following Delacroix and Granet, Cézanne painted regularly in water colors. When he discovered Impressionism with Pissarro in the 1870s, watercolors, with the rapidity and clarity of execution which they allowed, quickly became a preferred technique for him. In his mature years, Cézanne brought the medium to an unparalleled level of perfection: with sparing, abstract brushstrokes he achieved a dazzling effect of lightness and refinement, capturing in subtle visual emotion the very essence of his subject.