ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

California Tonalism

Okay kiddo, so you know how when you look at a sunset, everything looks kind of orange and pink and blue all at once? That's kind of what California Tonalism is all about.

Basically, a long time ago, there were some artists in California who thought that paintings should look like those beautiful sunsets. They didn't want to paint things super realistically, with every single detail perfect. Instead, they wanted to create a kind of dreamy, soft feeling with their paintings.

This meant that they used a lot of browns and greys and muted colors, rather than bright, bold ones. They also didn't always paint things exactly as they were; they might leave out some details or change things around a little bit to make the painting feel more peaceful and calming.

People really liked this new way of painting, and it became really popular in California. Some people even said that it was a "California style" of painting.

So there you have it, kiddo – California Tonalism is all about making paintings look dreamy and soft, like a beautiful sunset.