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A Revolution Through Post Impressionism Paintings Abby Miller AN137H Honors Art, Culture, and the Museum The Post-Impressionist era lasted from roughly 1886-1905. This period is preceded by the Impressionist movement from 1860-1886 and succeeded by the Fauvism movement which lasted from 1905-1907. All the subjects Post-Impressionist painters used suggest a trancelike attitude that encourages daydreaming among the viewer. Georges Seurat’s painting A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte marked the beginning of the Post-Impressionist era. Paintings and exhibitions from the Post-Impressionism era were found predominately in France which is the second largest country in Europe. France is and has always been Europe’s most important agricultural producer as well as one of the world’s leading industrial powers. The virtues that were most popular in French society during this time period were: austerity, thrift, sobriety, and industriousness. French culture had become increasingly materialistic and was often referred to as “comfort culture”. The post-impressionism era occurred during a period in France where society’s political views were growing increasingly Radical. The Radical party was one that reflected social and economic discontent and the unpopularity of overseas expansion at the time. Post-Impressionist paintings are produced by full-time painters from France. The Post-Impressionist movement was led by Paul Cézanne, Paul Gauguin, Vincent Van Gogh, and Georges Seurat, all of whom were older, French, middle aged, white males. They were a very eclectic group of artists so there are no broad unifying characteristics that specify the Post-Impressionist era. The group of Post-Impressionists were all extremely unique and shared different beliefs and painting styles, but one thing that remained consistent throughout all their works was the emergence of symbolism. Most Post-Impressionist painters were inspired by Japanese Art because of their use of distinct lines and more vibrant colors. Post-Impressionism paintings are not still being created because the Post- Impressionist era existed during a specified time frame roughly between the years of 1886 and 1905. Current artists have used their own skills and techniques to recreate famous Post-Impressionist paintings such as Van Gogh’s Starry Night or Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec’s At the Moulin Rouge. A simple google search of ‘starry night’ will show results of numerous large companies such as Amazon, Etsy, Overstock, and many other décor websites, who are all selling copies of Van Gogh’s famous painting. Museums, within their gift shops, often sell reprints of the same works of art that they hold in their collection. Brodskaia, N. V. (2010). Post-Impressionism. New York: Parkstone International. Retrieved from https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=nlebk&AN= 436227&site= ehost-live&scope=site Bury, J. P. T. (2003). France, 1814-1940 (Vol. 6th ed. introduction by Robert Tombs). London: Routledge. Retrieved from https ://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct= true&db =nlebk&AN=94973&=ehost-live&scope=site Figure 1 By Vincent van Gogh - The MET https://www.metmuseum.org/collections/ search-the-collections/110000977?img=0#fullscreen, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid= 5 748252 Figure 2 By Georges Seurat - twGyqq52R-lYpA at Google Cultural Institute maximum zoom level, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=22319969 Figure 3 By Paul Gauguin - Museum of Fine Arts Boston, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php ?curid=36264337 Figure 4 By Paul Gauguin - Kunstmuseum Basel, Martin P. Bühler, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/ w/index.php?curid=38295695 Figure 5 By Vincent van Gogh - Copied from an art book, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php ?curid=9478453 Figure 6 By Paul Cézanne - The Yorck Project (2002) 10.000 Meisterwerke der Malerei (DVD-ROM), distributed by DIRECTMEDIA Publishing GmbH. ISBN: 3936122202., Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid= 149139 Figure 7 By Paul Gauguin - The Yorck Project (2002) 10.000 Meisterwerke der Malerei (DVD-ROM), distributed by DIRECTMEDIA Publishing GmbH. ISBN: 3936122202., Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/ index.php?curid=151420 Figure 8 By Vincent van Gogh - National Gallery (NG3863), London, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/ index.php?curid=151970 Figure 9 By Paul Gauguin - 1. pintura.aut.org2. Artsy, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/ index.php?curid=4151276 Figure 10 By Paul Cézanne - https://www.sothebys.com/en/videos/from-picasso-to-motherwell-one-collections-vision-of-20th-century-artistic-innovation direct link, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid= 78465370 Figure 11 By Georges Seurat - National Gallery, London, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/ index.php?curid=208117 Figure 12 By Vincent van Gogh, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid= 22554513 Figure 13 By Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec - pAGg8GwiHleSkA at Google Cultural Institute maximum zoom level, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php ? curid =21909181 Figure 14 https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid= 25498286 Hurt, P. (n.d.). Revolution in Paint, 1–16. Lotha, G., & Setia, V. (2019, November 14). Post-Impressionism. Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/art/ Post-Impressionism Maginnis, H. B. J. (1996). Reflections on formalism: The post-impressionists and the early Italians. Art History, 19(2), 191. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8365.1996.tb00663.x Magraw, R. (2014). France, 1800-1914 : A Social History. London: Routledge. Retrieved from https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=nlebk&AN=816890& site=ehost-live& scope=site Perdew, L. (2015). History of art. ABDO Publishing. (2015). Retrieved January 29, 2020, from DiPietro Library Thuillier, J. (2003). History of art. Paris: Flammarion The Salon de Paris began in 1748 and was the official art exhibition of the Académie des Beaux-Arts in Paris. This Salon exhibited paintings that were displayed floor to ceiling, taking up every available inch of space. Originally, Salon exhibits were judged by Academicians who controlled the overall style that buyers would be interested in from the results of the jury’s opinion. Buyers were upper class citizens as paintings were not considered a necessity and were only purchased by individuals who were financially stable. Post-Impressionism was originally rejected by the public because of the bright, vivid color palette and symbolic nature of the subjects. Oil painting is a medium in which pigments are suspended in drying oils. Artists oil paints are made by the process of combining dry powder pigments with refined linseed oil and mixing them together to create a stiff paste consistency and then using a steel roller mill to grind it by strong friction. To apply the paint onto a canvas, artists typically used brushes made from hog hair, as it’s durability and thickness was perfect for moving and supporting large amounts of thick oil paint. To hold the canvas upright, artists used easels to support their paintings which come in two basic designs: the H frame and the Tripod. The invention of a collapsible metal tube in 1841 enabled artists to move outside their studio and begin painting outdoors. Van Gogh was famous for using the impasto effect where he applied thicker coats of paint onto the canvas to create a three-dimensional effect on the painting. Interesting Fact Materials and Technology Introduction Cultural History and Context History of the Art Form Current Status References The Artists 1. Wheat Field With Cypresses’, Vincent Van Gogh, 1890 3. Where Do We Come From? What Are We? Where Are We Going? Paul Gauguin, 1897 4. When Will You Marry? Paul Gauguin 1892 2. A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte, Geoges Serat, 1884 5. Café Terrace at Night, Vincent Van Gogh, 1888 7. Vision After the Sermon, Paul Gauguin, 1888 6. Rideau, Cruchon et Compotier, Paul Cezanne, 1894 8. Sunflowers, Vincent Van Gogh, 1887 9. The Yellow Christ, Paul Gauguin, 1889 10. The Card Players, Paul Cezanne, 1892 12. The Bedroom, Vincent Van Gogh, 1888 11. Bathers At Asnieres, Georges Seurat, 1884 14. Starry Night, Vinvent Van Gogh, 1889 13. At The Moulin Rouge, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, 1895
