POST-IMPRESSIONISMCÉZANNE, VAN GOGH, GAUGUIN

After the last exhibition of the Impressionists in 1886, three artirts

became really famous and they will be the leading exponents of

this new artistic movement called «Post-Impressionism».

Paul Cézanne (1839 -1906)As many other artists of this period, Cézanne starts his artisticresearchs influenced by Impressionism but he goes beyond it (vaoltre esso). He defines the visual sensations by analysing thereality and finding the essence of things.

In 1873 he painted «The Hanged Man’sHouse»(La casa dell’impiccato) and inthis painting his interpretation of thevisual sensations is evident: he wants tofind the essential structure of the visualperceptions.

CÉZANNE, PaulThe Card Players1890-1892Oil on canvas

The Louvre, Paris

CÉZANNE, PaulStill Life with Apples1895-1898Oil on canvasMoMA, New York

CÉZANNE, PaulMont Sainte-Victoire1902-04Oil on canvasPhiladelphia Museum of Art

CÉZANNE, PaulLarge Bathers1899-1906Oil on canvas )Philadelphia Museum of Art

Vincent Van Gogh(1853 -1890)At the beginning of his career Van Gogh faces up to (affronta) the themes of Realism, such as the representation of the difficultaspects of poors’ life (vita dei poveri). Before being a painter Van Gogh was also a preacher (predicatore) and this is the reason whyin his first paintings there is a religious feeling.

When he painted «The PotatoEaters» (i mangiatori di patate),he’s sure that, even if his paintingtechnique was approximative,herepresented something important.

In 1886, he moved to Paris and he was impressed by the coloursused by Impressionists and the painting technique typical ofPointillism (Divisionismo): that’s the reason why his painting clearsup (si schiarisce)à usa toni più chiari

VAN GOGH, VincentSelf-Portrait with Felt

Hat1887-88

Oil on canvasRijksmuseum Vincent

van Gogh, Amsterdam

In 1888, he left the city lifeand he moved to Arles, in theSouthern France, where hehoped to create an artists’colony.

In Arles, Van Gogh shared (ha condiviso) the house with anotherartist, Paul Gauguin. The two painters had very different visions ofart which brought them(cosa che porto loro) to constantly fightingeach other (a litigare).

VAN GOGH,VincentSelf-Portrait withBandaged Ear1889Oil on canvasCourtauld InstituteGalleries, London

Their friendship endedafter 2 years and VanGogh cut his ear (si tagliòl’orecchio).

Van Gogh’s palette gets clearer and clearer (la tavolozza di V.G. si schiarisce sempre di più) and at the same time his discomfortgrows ( il suo disagio mentale cresce).

VAN GOGH, VincentWheat Field Under Threatening

Skies1890, Oil on canvas

Vincent van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam

Paul Gauguin(1848 -1903)Paul Gauguin was fascinated by Gothic stained-glass windows(vetrate gotiche) where the colours are uniform and with a blackframe. This painting underlines the two-dimensionality of painting,a painting without prospective illusionism.

Gauguin, PaulVan Gogh Painting Sunflowers , 1888, Oil on canvas, Private collection

The colour has a symbolicmeaning and the figures aresimplified. In 1890 heestablished the Pont-AvenSchool with Bernard.

Gauguin, PaulThe Yellow Christ1889, Oil on canvasAlbright-Knox Art Gallery, Buffalo,

NY

Paul Gauguin dedicated his life to painting after that he lost(haperso) the job in 1883. He started travelling towards(verso) farislands such as Tahiti and Martinique. In his travels and in hispaintings he tries to represent the modern man’s attempt(tentativo dell’uomo moderno) to escape from a society that hadlost the values of a human life.

Gauguin, PaulTahitian Womenor on the Beach, 1891Oil on canvasMusee d'Orsay, Paris

These values can still be found(si possono ancora trovare) insome islands such as Tahiti,which are «primitive».