of or in the manner of various French 19th-century schools of painting, esp impressionism, concerned with the observation of light and atmosphere effects outdoors
Derived forms
plein-airist (ˌpleɪnˈɛərɪst)
noun
Word origin
C19: from French phrase en plein air in the open (literally: full) air
plein-air in American English
(ˌpleɪnˈɛr; French plɛˈnɛʀ)
adjective
designating, of, or in the manner of certain schools of French impressionist painting of the late 19th cent., engaged mainly in representing observed effects of outdoor light and atmosphere