Introductory Visual Arts: Art History Timeline - PostImpressionism Cézanne Van Gogh Gauguin Seurat Pointillism ToulouseLautrec Rousseau

What It Is

Post-Impressionism was an art movement that emerged in the late 19th century, characterized by a rejection of traditional techniques and a focus on expressing emotions and inner experiences. Paul Cézanne's "Still Life with Apples" (1893-1894) is a quintessential example of Post-Impressionism, showcasing the artist's bold brushstrokes and emphasis on form and structure. This matters for making or analyzing art because Post-Impressionism paved the way for a wide range of avant-garde movements, from Fauvism to Cubism.

Key Terms & Techniques

• Impressionism: a 19th-century art movement emphasizing light and color, characterized by short, broken brushstrokes and unblended colors. Example: Claude Monet's "Impression, Sunrise" (1872).
• Pointillism: a technique developed by Georges Seurat, involving the application of small dots of color to form an image. Example: Seurat's "A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte" (1886).
• Cézanne's Broken Color: a technique where colors are applied in short, broken brushstrokes to create a sense of movement and energy. Example: Cézanne's "Mount Saint-Victoire" (1882-1885).
• Gauguin's Synthetism: a style characterized by the use of bold, flat colors and a focus on the emotional and spiritual aspects of a scene. Example: Gauguin's "Where Do We Come From? What Are We? Where Are We Going?" (1897-1898).
• Toulouse-Lautrec's Lithography: a technique used to create prints, characterized by bold lines and vibrant colors. Example: Toulouse-Lautrec's "La Goulue" (1891-1892).
• Rousseau's Naïve Art: a style characterized by a childlike simplicity and a focus on the emotional and symbolic aspects of a scene. Example: Rousseau's "The Dream" (1910).
• Fauvism: a 20th-century art movement emphasizing bold, vibrant colors and energetic brushstrokes. Example: Henri Matisse's "The Dance" (1909-1910).
• Cubism: a 20th-century art movement characterized by the use of geometric shapes and fragmented forms. Example: Pablo Picasso's "Les Demoiselles d'Avignon" (1907).
• Art Nouveau: a style characterized by sinuous, organic lines and a focus on the decorative arts. Example: Alphonse Mucha's posters (1890s).
• Synthetism: a style characterized by the use of bold, flat colors and a focus on the emotional and spiritual aspects of a scene. Example: Gauguin's "The Vision After the Sermon" (1888).
• Expressionism: a 20th-century art movement emphasizing the artist's inner experiences and emotions. Example: Edvard Munch's "The Scream" (1893).
• Fauvist Color: a style characterized by bold, vibrant colors and energetic brushstrokes. Example: Matisse's "The Dance" (1909-1910).
• Cubist Fragmentation: a technique where objects are broken down into geometric shapes and reassembled in a new way. Example: Picasso's "Les Demoiselles d'Avignon" (1907).
• Art Nouveau Ornamentation: a style characterized by sinuous, organic lines and a focus on the decorative arts. Example: Mucha's posters (1890s).

Common Misunderstandings

• Misunderstanding: Post-Impressionism was a reaction against Impressionism.
• Correction: Post-Impressionism was a continuation of Impressionism, with artists like Cézanne and Gauguin building on the techniques and ideas of the Impressionists.
• Misunderstanding: Pointillism was a style characterized by small, detailed brushstrokes.
• Correction: Pointillism was a technique involving the application of small dots of color to form an image, as seen in Seurat's "A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte" (1886).
• Misunderstanding: Fauvism was a style characterized by bold, vibrant colors and energetic brushstrokes.
• Correction: Fauvism was a 20th-century art movement that emphasized bold, vibrant colors and energetic brushstrokes, but it was not the first movement to use these techniques, as seen in the work of artists like Cézanne and Gauguin.

Quick Identification

1. Describe an artwork characterized by bold, flat colors and a focus on the emotional and spiritual aspects of a scene. Identify the concept. Answer: Synthetism. Reason: This style is characterized by the use of bold, flat colors and a focus on the emotional and spiritual aspects of a scene, as seen in Gauguin's "The Vision After the Sermon" (1888).
2. Describe a technique where objects are broken down into geometric shapes and reassembled in a new way. Identify the concept. Answer: Cubist Fragmentation. Reason: This technique involves breaking down objects into geometric shapes and reassembling them in a new way, as seen in Picasso's "Les Demoiselles d'Avignon" (1907).
3. Describe a style characterized by sinuous, organic lines and a focus on the decorative arts. Identify the concept. Answer: Art Nouveau. Reason: This style is characterized by sinuous, organic lines and a focus on the decorative arts, as seen in Mucha's posters (1890s).

Last-Minute Revision

• Post-Impressionism emerged in the late 19th century, characterized by a rejection of traditional techniques and a focus on expressing emotions and inner experiences.
• Paul Cézanne's "Still Life with Apples" (1893-1894) is a quintessential example of Post-Impressionism.
• Georges Seurat developed the technique of Pointillism, involving the application of small dots of color to form an image.
• Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec was a key figure in the development of Art Nouveau.
• Paul Gauguin's "Where Do We Come From? What Are We? Where Are We Going?" (1897-1898) is a prime example of Synthetism.
• Camille Pissarro was a key figure in the development of Impressionism.
• Vincent van Gogh's "Starry Night" (1889) is a quintessential example of Post-Impressionism.
• Fauvism emerged in the early 20th century, characterized by bold, vibrant colors and energetic brushstrokes.
• Pablo Picasso's "Les Demoiselles d'Avignon" (1907) is a prime example of Cubism.
• Art Nouveau emerged in the late 19th century, characterized by sinuous, organic lines and a focus on the decorative arts.
• Henri Matisse's "The Dance" (1909-1910) is a quintessential example of Fauvism.
• Expressionism emerged in the early 20th century, characterized by a focus on the artist's inner experiences and emotions.
• Cubism emerged in the early 20th century, characterized by the use of geometric shapes and fragmented forms.