The Modern Condition• Increasing economic

instability, expanding colonialism, and increasing nationalism fused with the need for personal identity and purity lead to conflict on a global scale.

• People began to question established tradition, law, and the concept of truth. – Some turned back to the

church and explored new religions from the East. Others sought answers in science and the developing fields of psychology, sociology, anthropology, and art.

World Colonial Empires, c. 1900.

Schools of Modern Art

• Term coined by the British artist and art critic Roger Fry in 1910 to describe the development of French art since Manet.

• Fry applied the term wile organizing the 1910 exhibition “Manet and the Post-Impressionists” Poster of the 1889 Exhibition of Paintings by

the Impressionist and Synthetist Group, at Café des Arts, known as the The Volpini

Exhibition, 1889.

Post-Impressionism(1880s-1920)

Post-Impressionism

Themes:

• Urban life

• Landscape

• Exotic themes

Forms:

• No single approach

• Rejection of illusionism, window onto the world

• Expressive use of color, line, brush stroke

Paul Cézanne, Mount Sainte-Victoire, ca. 1885-1887. Oil in canvas, 25 1/2 x 32.” Courtauld Institute, London. Fig. 25.1

Schools of Modern Art

Post-ImpressionismMost often associated with 5 painters who were influenced by Impressionism:

– Paul Cézanne(1839-1906)– Paul Gauguin (1848-1903)– Vincent van Gogh (1953-1890)– Georges Pierre Seurat (1859-1891)– Henri Toulouse-Lautrec (1864-1901)

• These artists were contemporaries of the Impressionists but chose NOT to work in the Impressionist style.

Schools of Modern Art

• The rejection of restrictions of Impressionism

• Continued and exaggerated use of vivid color

• Thick application of paint

• Noticeable application of pigment (distinctive and personalized brushstrokes)

• Contemporary subject matter

• Accentuation of geometric form for expressionist purpose

• Abstracted form

Characteristics of Post-Impressionist paintings include:

Schools of Modern ArtPost-Impressionism• Cézanne did have an

Impressionist period from 1870-1878, even exhibiting in the first (1874) and third Impressionist shows (1877).

• Even then, Cézanne’s paintings showed evidence of his intense study of his subjects from nature.– Impressionists painted

outdoors, Post-Impressionists generally brought their canvases indoors and painted from memory.

Paul Cézanne, Jas de Bouffan (The Pond), 1876. Oil on canvas, 18.1”x 22.2”. The Hermitage Museum, St.

Petersburg.

Schools of Modern ArtPost-Impressionism• Artist Paul Cézanne (1839-1906)

is considered by many to be the father of 20th century experimentation.

• Cézanne sought through his work to paint his ideas about the nature of art.

• He studied the works of artists Delacroix and Poussin at the Louvre in Paris.

• His unique and unusual blending of emotion and logic precedes and gives credence to Expressionism and laid the foundation for a radically new art in the 20th century.

Paul Cézanne, Battle of Love, 1880. Oil on canvas 14 7/8” x 18 ¼”. National Gallery of

Art, Washington, DC.

• Cézanne’s Battle of Love is an adaptation of Manet’s 1863, Déjeunersur l’herbe .

Paul Cézanne, Battle of Love, 1880. Oil on canvas 14 7/8” x 18 ¼”. National

Gallery of Art, Washington, DC.

Édouard Manet, Déjeuner sur l’herbe (Luncheon on the Grass), 1863. Oil on canvas; 6’9 1/8” x 8’ 10 ¼”. Musée d'Orsay, Paris.

Schools of Modern Art

Post-Impressionism

• To define and make visual his theories on art, Cézanne focused on a fixed mix of subjects:– Bathers

– The Bay of Marseilles

– Still Lifes (particularly the apple)

– Mont Sainte-VictoirePaul Cézanne, The Bay of Marseilles, Seen from L'Estaque, ca. 1885. Oil in

canvas. 31 1/2 x 39 5/8”. Art Institute of Chicago.

Schools of Modern Art

Post-Impressionism

• The various views of Marseilles demonstrate the revolutionary evolution in his personal style that would give birth to abstraction.

• Here, his characteristic brushstrokes begin to make an appearance.

• Cézanne would become known for the planes of color and small brushstrokes used to build up the complex surface of the canvas.

• Like others before him, he denies the illusive recession of depth by cutting off the scene at the sides.

• The overwhelming area of blue, which would become inspiration for modern and contemporary artists alike, dominates the scene over the natural colors of the houses.

Paul Cézanne, The Bay of Marseilles, Seen from L'Estaque, ca. 1885. Oil in canvas. 31 1/2 x 39 5/8”. Art Institute

of Chicago.

Post-Impressionism

Paul Cézanne (1839-1906)• Painted in Provence where

he spent the remainder of his life

• Light-filled scene of natural landscape

• Broad brushstrokes, bright colors

• Canvas is an arrangement of shapes and planes that echo throughout

• Compression of background and foreground

• Diagonal lines of land mirrored in the design of roofs

Paul Cézanne, Mount Sainte-Victoire, ca. 1885-1887. Oil in canvas, 25 1/2 x 32.” Courtauld Institute, London. Fig. 25.1

Schools of Modern Art

Post-Impressionism

• Post-Impressionists accentuated the geometric, abstracted and exaggerated form for expressionist purpose, and introduced the arbitrariness of color.

Paul Cézanne, The Basket of Apples, c. 1893. Oil on canvas, 24 3/8” x 31”. The Art Institute of

Chicago.

Schools of Modern ArtPost-Impressionism

• Cézanne carefully arranged his still lifesto create a challenging and dynamic composition.

– Each object was strategically placed to create relationships between the different elements.

• Each form was modulated with his iconic small, flat brushstrokes; his shapes distorted to order, and contours loosened to address the spatial tension of the arrangement.

• He would often tilt the table, bottles, bowls, etc. to unify color areas-this allows him to concentrate on the relationships and tensions between objects represented.

Paul Cézanne, Still Life, Drapery, Pitcher, and Fruit Bowl, 1893–1894. Oil on canvas, 23.2” ×

28.5”. Whitney Museum of American Art, NYC.

Schools of Modern ArtPost-Impressionism• The 1890s witnessed

Cézanne’s brushstrokes increase in size and abstraction

• Each brushstroke dances across the canvas independently, yet harmoniously

• Brushstrokes are flat, sit on canvas emphasizing its surface

• His work grew more expressive, his contours broken

• The artist’s hand is increasingly present in process

Paul Cézanne, Mont Sainte-Victoire Seen from Les Lauves, 1902-1906. Oil on canvas, 25 ½” x

32”. Private collection.

Schools of Modern ArtPost-Impressionism

• Left unfinished, this piece was the conclusion of the artist’s experimentation with a subject that occupied him for some 30 years.

• His Bathers, painted in multiple varieties, were painted from the imagination and became example for his younger contemporaries including the Symbolist painters. Paul Cézanne, Large Bathers, 1906. Oil on

canvas 82 7/8” x 98 ¾” . Philadelphia Museum of Art.

Schools of Modern Art

Georges Seurat(1859-1891)

• 1884 reveals new painting style

• Painting rejected by Salon, exhibited first exhibition of Independent Artists

• Typical scene of leisurely activities of working class

Georges Seurat, A Bathing Place, Asnières,1884. Oil on canvas, 79 ½” x 118”. National

Gallery, London. Fig. 25.2

Schools of Modern Art

Post-Impressionism• Post-Impressionists

rejected the restrictions of Impressionism yet maintained the use of vivid color, thick application of paint, noticeable application of pigment (distinctive brushstrokes), and contemporary subject matter

Georges Seurat, A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte, 1884-86. Oil on

canvas, 6’9 ½” x 10’ 1 ¼”. The Art Institute of Chicago. Fig. 25.2

Schools of Modern Art

Post-Impressionism• Seurat was an academically

trained artist, classical enthusiast, and fan of artists including Poussin and Ingres.

• He took a scientific approach to painting studying color theory of Ogden Rood and the mechanics of vision.

• This led to the development of his unique application of the paint to canvas in the form of dots, or points giving his style the title of Pointillism (also known as Neo-Impressionism).

Georges Seurat, A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte, 1884-86. Oil on

canvas, 6’9 ½” x 10’ 1 ¼”. The Art Institute of Chicago.

Schools of Modern Art

Post-Impressionism

• Large canvas meant to function in tradition of history painting

• Over 27 studies created in preparation of work

• Effort to create utopian vision of working and middle class

Georges Seurat, A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte, 1884-86. Oil on

canvas, 6’9 ½” x 10’ 1 ¼”. The Art Institute of Chicago. Fig. 25.2

Schools of Modern Art

• Sought a spiritual life

• Art school background in Holland, very basic

• Heavily influenced by Rembrandt and the heroic life of the peasant

• Early palette dark, earthly colors

• Works have an expressionist sensibility

Vincent Van Gogh, Potato Eaters, 1885. Oil on canvas, 32.3” x 44.9”. Van Gogh Museum,

Amsterdam.

Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890)

Schools of Modern Art

Post-Impressionism• Considered a Post-

Impressionist, his work drew influence from the Impressionist color palette, causing him to develop a deep love of and emphasis on color.

• He used color to communicate emotion in his work.

• His Night Café is a prime example.

Vincent van Gogh, The Night Café, 1888. Oil on canvas, 29” x 36 ¼”. Yale University Art

Gallery, CT

Schools of Modern Art

Post-Impressionism• “I have tried to express the

terrible passions of humanity by means of red and green.”

-van Gogh– Van Gogh uses acidic colors and

incorrect perspective to create a claustrophobic nightmare and frightening experience for the viewer.

– His use of perspective anticipates the work of Surrealist artists of the 20th century.

Vincent van Gogh, The Night Café, 1888. Oil on canvas, 29” x 36 ¼”. Yale

University Art Gallery, CT

Schools of Modern Art

Post-Impressionism• Considered his best

known work, Starry Night displays van Gogh’s acknowledgement and respect for his Dutch roots.

• van Gogh never abandons the landscape and carries on the Netherlandishtradition of portraiture with his series of self-portraits. Vincent van Gogh, Starry Night,

1889. Oil on canvas, 29” x 36 ¼”. Museum of Modern Art, NY. Fig.

25.3

Vincent van Gogh, Self-Portrait, 1888. Oil on canvas, 29” x 36 ¼”.

Harvard University Art Museum, MA.

Schools of Modern Art

Post-Impressionism

• Considered one of the fathers of 20th century modernism, van Gogh is known for his raw emotional content, brutal honesty, and experimentally bold use of color used to evoke response.

• Like his friend, Gauguin, he is credited for paving the way for Expressionist ad Fauve artists.

Vincent van Gogh, Starry Night, 1889. Oil on canvas, 29” x 36 ¼”. Museum of

Modern Art, NY. Fig. 25.3

Schools of Modern Art

Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890)• Uses religious symbolism• Depicts view outside room at

sanitarium• "... it does me good to do what’s

difficult. That doesn’t stop me having a tremendous need for, shall I say the word – for religion –so I go outside at night to paint the stars.'”

• Was not happy with his painting• Increasing self-doubt and other

symptoms lead to his attempted suicide

Vincent van Gogh, Starry Night, 1889. Oil on canvas, 29” x 36 ¼”. Museum of

Modern Art, NY. Fig. 25.3

Schools of Modern Art

Post-Impressionism

• Post-Impressionist artists sought an escape from modernity.

• Some, like Gauguin attempt to find this utopia in other lands.

Paul Gauguin, Nevermore, 1897. Oil on canvas, 23 7/8” x 45 5/8”. Courtauld Gallery, London.

Schools of Modern Art

Symbolism

• Symbolist painters favored the ideal over the real, symbol over sight, and conception over perception.

• They sought a balance between mind and spirit, thought and emotion.

Gustave Moreau, The Apparition, c. 1876. Oil on canvas; 21 ¼” x 171/2”.

Louvre, Paris

Schools of Modern ArtSymbolism (late 19th century)

• Symbolism is directly influenced by Romanticism; it is a direct response to Art for Art’s Sake.

• Symbolists favored the ideal over the real, symbol over sight, and conception over perception.

• They sought a balance between mind and spirit, thought and emotion. Henri Fantin-Latour, Homage to Delacroix, 1864.

Oil on canvas, 63”x 98.4”. Musée d'Orsay, Paris.

Schools of Modern ArtSymbolism (late 19th century)• Symbolism was an

interdisciplinary movement with an origin in poetry and literature.

• In literature, the movement was founded by author Charles Baudelaire whose Les Fleurs du mal (The Flowers of Evil, 1857) was a heavily influential inspiration to visual artists.

• Symbolists had no vested need to influence contemporary art, politics, or social policy.

• Symbolist artists enjoyed free access to the imagination ad artistic license.

Henri Fantin-Latour, Homage to Delacroix, 1864. Oil on canvas, 63”x 98.4”. Musée

d'Orsay, Paris.

Delacroix

Schools of Modern Art

Gustave Moreau (1826-1898)• Works predate Symbolism but

become models for the movement

• Works combine Romantic motifs with enigmatic imagery

• Return to religious inquiry, interest in the spiritual and supernatural

• Attention to detail, influence of Near East in costume and decoration Gustave Moreau, The Apparition, c.

1876. Oil on canvas; 21 ¼” x 171/2”.

Louvre, Paris. Fig. 25.6

Schools of Modern ArtSymbolism (late 19th century)• Artists including Gustave

Moreau (1826-1898), Pierre Puvis de Chavannes (1824-1898), and Odilon Redon (1840-1916) were associated with a smaller Post-Impressionist movement called, Symbolism.

• Symbolism was an exclusive movement, its artists associated with a very limited circle, read specific authors, and had very different ideas about art. Puvis de Chavannes, Summer, 1891. Oil on

canvas, 4’11” x 7’7 ½”. Cleveland Museum of Art.

Schools of Modern ArtSymbolism (late 19th century)

• High point of French Symbolism 1874-1880

• Declared a movement 1866

• Look to musicians, poets, and writers for inspiration

• Reaction to Darwin’s evolution (as early as 1858) as well as Realism, Impressionism, and Positivism

• Elite group of artists

• Stresses subconscious and mystical, feelings and emotion

• Interest in the mind and subconscious before Freud

• Influential on Art Nouveau artists

Odilon Redon, The Eye Like a Strange Balloon Mounts Toward Infinity, from the series Edgar Allen Poe, 1882. Lithograph, 10 1/4” x 7 1/16”. Museum of Modern

Art, NYC. Fig. 25.7

Schools of Modern ArtPost-Impressionism

• Gauguin rejects the traditionalism of Puvis de Chavannes and Moreau and the optical naturalism of Impressionism.

• “Synthesis of form and color derived from the observation of the dominant element”.

• Uses color arbitrarily rather than to describe an object visually, privileges the creative act, considers painting an abstraction.

• Heavy influence on Nabis Group and Fauves.

Paul Gauguin, The Spirit of the Dead keeps Watch, 1892. Oil on canvas, 28.5” × 36.38”.

Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Buffalo, NY.

Schools of Modern ArtPost-Impressionism

• Post-Impressionist artist, Paul Gauguin was closely associated with a group of Symbolist painters.

• He was known for his experimental use of color.

• His work was particularly influential on artists Henri Matisse (1869-1954) and Pablo Picasso (1881-1973).

• His style evolved from interests in folk art, Japanese prints, and Cloisonnism.

– His Yellow Christ is a premiere example of the cloisonné style (a style of painting with bold and flat forms separated by dark contours). Paul Gauguin, The Yellow Christ (Le Christ

jaune), 1889. Oil on canvas, 36.3” x28.7”. Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Buffalo, NY.

• Artists like Gauguin outline figures in a style similar to Cloisonnism, a technique of decorating using a metal framework and enamel, gemstones, and glass

Sutton Hoo purse cover, from East Anglia, England; c. 630. Gold with garnets and cloisonné originally on ivory or bone

(since lost); 8” long

Schools of Modern ArtPost-Impressionism• Gauguin’s work practices

synthetism (the fusion of subject and idea with color and form).

• The scene painted is anti-Realist.• Gauguin, and many other Post-

Impressionists, seek an escape from the industrialization an urbanization of modern Paris.

• Artists take advantage of colonization and Christianizing efforts to explore pre-industrialized society.– Escapism/attempt to free self from

corruption of sophistication of modern world.

• Paintings convey immediacy and authenticity of the imagination.

Paul Gauguin, Vision after the Sermon, or Jacob Wrestling with the Angel, 1888. Oil

on canvas, 28 ¾” x 36 ¼”. National Gallery of Scotland.

Paul Gauguin, Where Do We Come From? What Are We? Where Are We Going?, 1897-1898. Oil on canvas, 55” x 148.”

Museum of FIne Arts, Boston. Fig. 25.4

Schools of Modern Art

• Like many Post-Impressionists, he rejects industrialized society

• Leaves Paris to search for more meaningful existence in pre-industrialized cultures like Brittany and Tahiti

Paul Gauguin (1848-1903)

• Search is also for purer art, more authentic and direct• Found inspiration in cloisonné of stained glass wondows• Abandons wife and 5 children eventually moving to Tahiti• Tahitian works show the promise of a land that no longer existed, but appealed to

his Parisian clients

Schools of Modern Art

• Norwegian Symbolism

• Influenced by Gauguin’s patterns and sinuous line and van Gogh's bold brushwork

• Explores the psychological effects of modernism

• Elements of expressionism (any art that stresses the artist's emotional and psychological expression, often with bold colors and distortions of form) Edvard Munch, The Scream, 1893. Oil

and tempera on board 35 ¾ x 29”. The National Gallery, Oslo Norway.

Edvard Munch (1863-1944)

Schools of Modern Art

• Art becomes a tool for artists to communicate the growing angst of a generation

• Possibly inspired by Krakatoa, 1883• Writing about the inspiration for The

Scream Munch pens:I went along the road with two friends—The sun setSuddenly the sky became blood—and I felt the breath of sadnessI stopped—leaned against the fence—deathly tiredClouds over the fjord dripped reeking with bloodMy friends went on but I just stood trembling with an open woundin my breast I heard a huge extraordinaryscream pass through nature

Edvard Munch, The Scream, 1893. Oil and tempera on board 35 ¾ x 29”. The National

Gallery, Oslo Norway. Fig. 25.8.

Edvard Munch (1863-1944)

Schools of Modern Art

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec (1864-1901)

• Post-Impressionists, unlike the Impressionists, were not afraid to paint the seedy side of modern life.

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, At the Moulin Rouge, 1892. Oil on canvas, 48.5” x 55.5”. The Art

Institute of Chicago.Self-portrait of the artist

Schools of Modern Art

Post-Impressionism

• Along with Gauguin and van Gogh, Henri Toulouse-Lautrec (1864-1901) is considered an important link between the 19th century avant-garde and early 20th century greats including Edvard Munch, Henri Matisse, and Pablo Picasso.

• His prints won him great fame in the 1890s making his work synonymous with turn-of-the-century Paris.

• Lautrec captured the dirtier side of Paris; its nighttime activities and lives of the less-than-savory characters of the night.

• His posters elevated graphic design within the fine arts.

Henri Toulouse-Lautrec, Moulin Rouge-La Goulue, 1891. Color

lithograph, 6’ 3 ¼” x 4’. Victoria and Albert Museum, London.