Post-Impressionism

Period: 1885 – 1910

Characteristics: Abstraction and symbolism, personal expression, evolution of form

Events: Vincent van Gogh’s “Starry Night” creation (1889), Paul Gauguin’s journey to Tahiti (1891), First Post-Impressionist Exhibition in London (1910)

Post-Impressionism was a revolutionary art movement that emerged in the late 19th century as a response to the limitations and spontaneity of Impressionism. While Impressionists focused on capturing fleeting moments, light, and atmosphere, Post-Impressionists sought to express deeper emotional, symbolic, and structural elements in their work. They emphasised the artist’s subjective vision rather than direct observation, marking a shift toward more abstract and symbolic interpretations of reality. This movement laid the foundation for modern art. It influenced a wide range of styles that followed, including Fauvism, Cubism, and Expressionism.

The Post-Impressionist movement emerged during a period of significant historical and political change in Europe, particularly in the late 19th century. This era was marked by the aftermath of the Industrial Revolution, which brought rapid urbanisation, technological advancements, and a shift from agrarian societies to industrialised cities. As cities grew, traditional social structures and values began to evolve, leading to the rise of the middle class and changes in artistic patronage.

Politically, Europe was experiencing tensions that would culminate in the turmoil of World War I. The Dreyfus Affair in France, a political scandal that exposed deep-seated anti-Semitism and divisions within society, influenced artists like Émile Zola and, by extension, the broader cultural landscape. The emergence of avant-garde movements and a growing interest in alternative forms of expression reflected the discontent with conventional norms. Artists began to seek new ways to represent their experiences and emotions against this backdrop of societal transformation and uncertainty, paving the way for the innovative approaches that characterised Post-Impressionism.

Post-Impressionism was not a cohesive movement but a term coined by art critic Roger Fry in 1910 to describe the diverse range of artists who rejected the Impressionists’ focus on naturalism. The key artists associated with this movement—Paul Cézanne, Vincent van Gogh, Georges Seurat, and Paul Gauguin—each brought their own unique vision and approach, contributing to the rich diversity of post-Impressionism.

In this blog post, we will explore the key characteristics of Post-Impressionism, examine its most influential artists, and delve into some of their iconic artworks. We will also discuss how this movement paved the way for modern art by breaking away from traditional methods of representation.

The Characteristics of Post-Impressionism

Post-Impressionism was a response to Impressionism’s limitations, particularly the latter’s emphasis on light and colour over form and structure. Artists in this movement sought to reintroduce structure, form, and emotional depth to their work, allowing them to convey their inner experiences and visions rather than merely depicting the external world.

One of the most defining characteristics of Post-Impressionism is its emphasis on symbolism and personal expression. Artists moved away from the impressionistic focus on naturalistic representations of the world and began using colour and form to evoke emotion or convey symbolic meaning. For example, Van Gogh’s use of vibrant yellows and swirling brushstrokes in The Starry Night reflects his inner emotional turmoil rather than simply depicting a night sky.

Another key feature of Post-Impressionism is the use of bold, expressive colour. Rather than relying on naturalistic colour palettes, artists used exaggerated or unnatural colours to express a mood or symbolic meaning. Paul Gauguin’s Vision After the Sermon (Jacob Wrestling with the Angel) is a prime example, where the artist uses bold reds and oranges to create a dreamlike, spiritual atmosphere, transcending naturalistic depictions of the scene.

Moreover, Post-Impressionists placed a greater emphasis on form and structure than their Impressionist predecessors. While Impressionists often worked in loose, fragmented brushstrokes to capture the fleeting effects of light, Post-Impressionists sought to create more solid and enduring compositions. Paul Cézanne, often considered the “father of modern art,” was a master of this approach. His paintings, such as Mont Sainte-Victoire, demonstrate a meticulous, almost architectural approach to form and composition, using colour to build structure and depth.

Paul Cézanne: The Father of Modern Art

Paul Cézanne is often regarded as one of the most important figures in Post-Impressionism, largely due to his innovative approach to form and colour. Cézanne sought to bridge the gap between the direct observation of nature and the abstraction of form, creating compositions that emphasised the underlying structure of objects and landscapes. His work was a significant departure from the loose, fluid brushwork of the Impressionists, favouring a more methodical and analytical approach.

One of Cézanne’s most famous works, Mont Sainte-Victoire, exemplifies his focus on form and structure. This painting, part of a series depicting the mountain near his home in Provence, is composed of bold, geometric shapes that break down the landscape into its essential forms. Cézanne’s use of colour is also revolutionary, as he applied small patches of colour to create depth and dimension rather than relying on traditional techniques of light and shadow. This approach laid the groundwork for the development of Cubism, as it suggested that objects could be represented through a series of planes and facets.

Another significant work by Cézanne is The Card Players, a series of paintings depicting peasants playing cards. In this series, Cézanne strips the figures of any specific narrative or emotional content, instead focusing on their physical presence and the spatial relationships between them. The solidity of the figures, combined with the muted colour palette, gives the paintings a sense of timelessness and monumentality, demonstrating Cézanne’s belief that painting should focus on the enduring aspects of life rather than fleeting impressions.

Cézanne’s influence on subsequent generations of artists cannot be overstated. His emphasis on structure and form, combined with his revolutionary use of colour, paved the way for the development of modern art movements such as Cubism and Fauvism.

Vincent van Gogh: Emotion Through Color

Vincent van Gogh is perhaps the most famous of the Post-Impressionists. He is known for his intense emotional expression and bold use of colour. Van Gogh’s work is characterised by its swirling, dynamic brushwork and vibrant, sometimes unnatural, colour palettes, both of which he used to convey his inner emotional state.

One of Van Gogh’s most iconic works is The Starry Night, painted in 1889 during his time in the Saint-Paul-de-Mausole asylum. The painting depicts a swirling night sky over a quiet village, with bold, exaggerated colours and dynamic brushstrokes that create a sense of movement and energy. The intense blues and yellows in the sky reflect Van Gogh’s emotional turmoil at the time, as well as his fascination with the cosmos and the mysteries of the universe. The Starry Night is not a literal depiction of the night sky but a deeply personal interpretation of it, demonstrating Van Gogh’s belief that art should express the artist’s inner life rather than merely replicate the external world.

Another significant work by Van Gogh is Sunflowers, a series of paintings that the artist created during his time in Arles, France. The vibrant yellows and thick, textured brushstrokes in these paintings reflect Van Gogh’s fascination with colour and his desire to capture the beauty of the natural world. However, the wilting flowers in some of the paintings also suggest a deeper, more melancholic reflection on the passage of time and the impermanence of life.

Van Gogh’s emotional intensity and innovative use of colour had a profound impact on later artists, particularly the Expressionists, who sought to convey inner emotional experiences through bold, exaggerated forms and colours.

Georges Seurat: The Science of Pointillism

Georges Seurat took a more scientific approach to art than many of his Post-Impressionist contemporaries, developing a technique known as Pointillism. This method involved applying tiny dots of pure colour to the canvas, which would blend together in the viewer’s eye to create a cohesive image. Seurat was interested in the optical effects of colour and believed that this method could produce more vibrant and harmonious compositions than traditional techniques.

Seurat’s most famous work, A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte, is a masterpiece of Pointillism and one of the most iconic paintings of the Post-Impressionist movement. The painting depicts a group of people relaxing on a riverbank, but the scene is far from a simple Impressionist snapshot. The figures are carefully arranged in a highly structured composition, with precise, almost mechanical brushstrokes that create a sense of order and stability. Seurat’s use of colour theory is also evident in the painting, as the tiny dots of colour combine to create a vibrant, harmonious whole.

While Seurat’s approach to painting was more analytical and detached than that of artists like Van Gogh or Gauguin, his innovations in colour and technique had a significant influence on the development of modern art. Pointillism, with its emphasis on colour theory and the optical effects of light, laid the groundwork for later movements such as Divisionism and Abstract Art.

Paul Gauguin: The Quest for Symbolism and Spirituality

Paul Gauguin is known for his rejection of Western artistic conventions and his exploration of non-European cultures in his search for deeper spiritual meaning in art. Gauguin was a master of using bold colours and simplified forms to convey symbolic and emotional content, often drawing inspiration from the art and culture of the South Pacific.

One of Gauguin’s most famous works is Where Do We Come From? What Are We? Where Are We Going?, painted during his time in Tahiti. The painting is a complex, allegorical composition that reflects Gauguin’s interest in existential questions and his desire to find a more authentic, spiritual mode of expression. The bold, flattened forms and vibrant colours in the painting create a dreamlike, otherworldly atmosphere, emphasising the symbolic nature of the scene rather than its literal content.

Gauguin’s influence on the development of modern art is significant, particularly in his use of colour and his rejection of naturalism. His emphasis on symbolism and the inner emotional or spiritual content of art had a profound impact on movements such as Symbolism and Fauvism, both of which sought to move beyond the literal representation of the external world.

Conclusion

Post-Impressionism was a pivotal movement in the history of art, marking a transition from the naturalism of the Impressionists to the abstract, symbolic, and expressive tendencies of modern art. The key figures of this movement—Cézanne, Van Gogh, Seurat, and Gauguin—each made significant contributions to the development of modern art, whether through their innovative use of colour, form, or technique. Their diverse yet interconnected artworks exemplify the spirit of Post-Impressionism.

The legacy of Post-Impressionism can be seen in the many art movements that followed. The emphasis on subjective experience and emotional expression paved the way for movements such as Expressionism and Fauvism. Moreover, the structural innovations introduced by Cézanne laid the groundwork for the development of Cubism, ultimately redefining the trajectory of modern art.

In conclusion, Post-Impressionism stands as a monumental chapter in the history of art, characterised by its diversity, innovation, and profound impact on the evolution of artistic expression. Post-Impressionist artists reshaped the way we perceive and create art by rejecting the constraints of traditional representation and embracing personal vision and emotional depth. Their legacies continue to resonate in contemporary artistic practices, reminding us that art is a powerful medium for exploring the inner workings of the human experience.