🎩Nineteenth Century Art Unit 7 – Post–Impressionism

Key Artists and Their Styles

• Vincent van Gogh developed a highly expressive style characterized by bold, vibrant colors, thick brushstrokes, and emotional intensity in works like "The Starry Night" and his series of self-portraits
  • His style was influenced by Japanese woodblock prints and the bright colors of the French countryside
• Paul Cézanne focused on simplifying forms into geometric shapes, using color to create depth, and exploring multiple perspectives in a single painting, as seen in his series of Mont Sainte-Victoire landscapes and still lifes
• Paul Gauguin sought to escape the confines of Western civilization, traveling to Tahiti where he created paintings with flat, simplified forms, bold outlines, and vivid colors that celebrated the island's culture and people
  • His style was influenced by Japanese prints, medieval stained glass, and the art of indigenous cultures
• Georges Seurat developed the pointillist technique, applying small dots of pure color that optically blend when viewed from a distance, as exemplified in his masterpiece "A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte"
• Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec captured the nightlife of Paris in his posters and paintings, using flat areas of color, sinuous lines, and a focus on capturing the essence of his subjects rather than creating a realistic portrayal
• Henri Rousseau, a self-taught artist, created naive, dream-like paintings with flattened perspective, bold colors, and detailed renderings of flora and fauna, as seen in his famous work "The Dream"

Historical Context and Origins

• Post-Impressionism emerged in the late 1880s as a reaction against the limitations of Impressionism, which focused on capturing fleeting moments of light and color
• The Industrial Revolution and the modernization of Paris under Baron Haussmann's urban planning project provided a backdrop of rapid change and social upheaval
• The rise of photography challenged traditional notions of art's purpose and led artists to explore new ways of representing reality
• Exposure to non-Western art, particularly Japanese ukiyo-e prints, African masks, and Oceanic art, inspired Post-Impressionists to break free from European artistic conventions
• The influence of Symbolist literature and poetry, with its emphasis on subjectivity and inner experience, encouraged artists to express personal emotions and ideas in their work
• Advancements in color theory, particularly the work of Michel Eugène Chevreul, provided a scientific basis for the Post-Impressionists' bold use of color
• The rise of avant-garde movements, such as Neo-Impressionism and Synthetism, reflected a growing desire among artists to push the boundaries of traditional art forms

Characteristics of Post-Impressionism

• Emphasis on subjective experience and personal expression rather than objective reality
• Use of bold, pure colors to convey emotions and create visual impact
• Simplification and distortion of forms to emphasize the essential qualities of a subject
• Exploration of multiple perspectives and the flattening of pictorial space
• Rejection of the naturalistic color palette and brushwork of Impressionism in favor of more expressive techniques
• Interest in symbolism and the representation of inner states of mind
• Incorporation of elements from non-Western art, such as Japanese woodblock prints and African masks
• Experimentation with new materials and techniques, such as pointillism and synthetism

Major Themes and Subject Matter

• The beauty and vitality of the natural world, as seen in Van Gogh's landscapes and Cézanne's still lifes
• The human condition, including portraits that capture the psychological state of the sitter, as in the works of Van Gogh and Gauguin
• The modern urban experience, particularly the nightlife and entertainment of Paris, as depicted by Toulouse-Lautrec
• Primitivism and the search for a simpler, more authentic way of life, as exemplified by Gauguin's paintings of Tahiti
• The representation of dreams, fantasies, and inner states of mind, as in the works of the Nabis and Symbolist painters
• Social commentary and criticism, particularly in the works of Neo-Impressionists like Seurat and Signac
• The intersection of art and science, as seen in the pointillist techniques of Seurat and the color theories of the Neo-Impressionists
• The role of the artist as a visionary and the art as a means of personal expression and spiritual exploration

Techniques and Materials

• Pointillism, developed by Georges Seurat, involved applying small dots of pure color that optically blend when viewed from a distance
  • This technique was based on the color theories of Chevreul and the idea that colors could be mixed optically rather than physically on the canvas
• Synthetism, pioneered by Paul Gauguin, emphasized the use of flat areas of color, bold outlines, and simplified forms to create a sense of emotional resonance
• Impasto, a thick application of paint that creates a textured surface, was used by Vincent van Gogh to convey emotional intensity and energy
• The use of expressive, gestural brushstrokes to convey mood and emotion, as seen in the works of Van Gogh and the Fauves
• Experimentation with non-traditional materials, such as cardboard and burlap, as a means of breaking free from academic conventions
• The use of color symbolism, where colors are chosen for their emotional and psychological associations rather than their naturalistic appearance
• The incorporation of elements from Japanese woodblock prints, such as flat areas of color, asymmetrical compositions, and cropped forms

Influential Artworks

• "The Starry Night" (1889) by Vincent van Gogh, a swirling, emotionally charged vision of the night sky over a small village
• "A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte" (1884-1886) by Georges Seurat, a monumental pointillist work that captures the leisure activities of Parisians in a park
• "Where Do We Come From? What Are We? Where Are We Going?" (1897-1898) by Paul Gauguin, a large-scale allegorical painting that explores the meaning of life and the artist's spiritual journey
• "Mont Sainte-Victoire" series (1880s-1900s) by Paul Cézanne, a group of landscapes that demonstrate the artist's innovative approach to perspective and form
• "At the Moulin Rouge" (1892-1895) by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, a vibrant depiction of the famous Parisian nightclub and its patrons
• "The Dream" (1910) by Henri Rousseau, a surreal, jungle-like landscape inhabited by a reclining nude figure
• "Vision After the Sermon" (1888) by Paul Gauguin, a painting that combines religious symbolism with the bold, simplified style of Synthetism

Impact on Modern Art

• Post-Impressionism laid the groundwork for the development of abstract art by emphasizing the expressive potential of color, form, and brushwork over realistic representation
• The use of bold, non-naturalistic colors by Post-Impressionists influenced the Fauves and Expressionists in the early 20th century
• Cézanne's geometric simplification of forms and exploration of multiple perspectives inspired the Cubists, particularly Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque
• Gauguin's Synthetist style and interest in non-Western art influenced the development of Primitivism and the search for alternative modes of representation
• Van Gogh's expressive brushwork and emotional intensity inspired the Abstract Expressionists, such as Jackson Pollock and Willem de Kooning
• Seurat's pointillist technique paved the way for the development of Op Art and the use of color theory in modern art
• The Post-Impressionists' emphasis on personal expression and the role of the artist as a visionary influenced the rise of individualism in modern art

Legacy and Critical Reception

• Post-Impressionism is widely regarded as a pivotal moment in the history of modern art, marking the transition from the naturalism of Impressionism to the abstraction and experimentation of the 20th century
• The works of Van Gogh, Cézanne, Gauguin, and Seurat are among the most recognizable and beloved in the history of art, celebrated for their innovation, emotional power, and enduring influence
• Post-Impressionist art has been the subject of extensive scholarly research, with numerous books, exhibitions, and symposia devoted to exploring its historical context, artistic techniques, and cultural significance
• The Post-Impressionists' emphasis on subjective experience and personal expression has been seen as a reflection of the broader cultural shift towards individualism and the exploration of the inner self in the late 19th century
• Critics have debated the extent to which Post-Impressionism represents a coherent artistic movement, given the diversity of styles and approaches among its practitioners
• The legacy of Post-Impressionism can be seen in the works of countless artists throughout the 20th and 21st centuries, from the Fauves and Expressionists to contemporary painters who continue to explore the expressive potential of color and form