Post-impressionism

Definition

Post-Impressionism is an art movement that emerged in the late 19th century as a reaction to Impressionism, characterized by a focus on personal expression and a deeper exploration of color, form, and symbolism. While Impressionism emphasized capturing the effects of light and momentary impressions, Post-Impressionism sought to convey emotional depth and abstract ideas through a more subjective approach to painting, using vivid colors and bold brush strokes.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Post-Impressionism was primarily developed by artists like Vincent van Gogh, Paul Cézanne, and Georges Seurat, who each brought their unique styles and philosophies to the movement.
2. Unlike Impressionists who focused on natural scenes and the effects of light, Post-Impressionists often depicted subjects that reflected their emotional state or explored deeper themes.
3. Van Gogh's use of swirling brush strokes and vibrant colors exemplified the emotional intensity characteristic of Post-Impressionism.
4. Cézanne's approach to breaking down forms into geometric shapes influenced modern art movements such as Cubism.
5. The movement laid the groundwork for various 20th-century art styles by challenging traditional perspectives on representation and leading to greater abstraction.

Review Questions

• How did Post-Impressionism build upon the ideas introduced by Impressionism while also diverging from them?
  • Post-Impressionism took the foundational concepts of Impressionism, such as the focus on light and color, but shifted towards personal expression and emotional depth. While Impressionists aimed to capture fleeting moments of reality, Post-Impressionists like Van Gogh and Cézanne used color and form to convey their inner experiences and abstract ideas. This evolution allowed for a more subjective interpretation of reality in art.
• Discuss the significance of color and symbolism in Post-Impressionist works compared to their Impressionist predecessors.
  • In Post-Impressionism, color became a tool for conveying emotion rather than just representing the natural world. Artists employed bold colors and innovative techniques, like pointillism, to create visual narratives that reflected personal feelings or deeper meanings. This contrasts with Impressionism's primary focus on capturing light effects in a more direct way, thus elevating the role of color as an expressive element in art.
• Evaluate the impact of Post-Impressionism on future art movements and how it paved the way for modern art.
  • Post-Impressionism significantly influenced future art movements by challenging traditional artistic norms and emphasizing individual perspective. Its exploration of abstraction through artists like Cézanne directly contributed to the development of Cubism and other modern styles. The emphasis on personal expression, emotion, and symbolism opened new avenues for artistic innovation, encouraging subsequent generations to further experiment with form, color, and meaning in art.

Related terms

Impressionism:

An art movement that originated in the late 19th century, emphasizing the depiction of light and color through quick brush strokes and capturing moments of everyday life.

Pointillism:

A painting technique associated with Post-Impressionism that uses tiny dots of color applied in patterns to form images, famously used by artists like Georges Seurat.

Symbolism: An artistic movement that sought to represent ideas and emotions through symbolic imagery rather than realistic representation, influencing many Post-Impressionist artists.