Post Impressionism

Vincent Van Gogh (1853–1890), Paul Cézanne (1839-1806), Henri Rousseau (1844-1910), Paul Gauguin (1848-1903), Georges Seurat (1859–1891), Paul Signac (1863–1935), Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec (1864–1901), Émile Henri Bernard (1868-1941), Jean-Édouard Vuillard (1868–1940) and Pierre Bonnard (1867–1947) – Art lovers worldwide know these popular and renowned artists and also understand them to be Post Impressionists: Which they unquestionably are. However, the confusion surrounding Post Impressionism does not lie with the artist. Primarily it tends to lie with the definition of the term because each of these artists has their own distinct style: They are as similar as they are certainly dissimilar. For example Van Gogh oil painting would rarely (if ever) be confused with Bonnard: Or a Gauguin with Cézanne - Which means a certain kind of haziness with regards to defining the term Post Impressionism, can filter through.

Roger Fry

The term Post Impressionism was first used by the English Roger Fry in relation to the 1910 Grafton Gallery exhibition (November 8, 1910-January 15, 1911). Roger Fry was a highly influential art critic and had selected a group of young European artists to exhibit alongside Manet; who by then was considered to be a pivotal figure with regards to the move away from ‘realist’ painting toward Impressionism – Therefore one could say that Manet was the instigator of modern art: Although of course, it was (the then younger artist) Paul Cézanne who became known as the ‘Father of Modern Art’.

Titled (rather simply) Manet and Post Impressionism, the exhibition included the works of Van Gogh, Cézanne, Gauguin, Seurat and Derain: All of whom are now considered to be outstanding artists of the Post Impressionist period. The word ‘post’ as a prefix is derived from the Latin word ‘postscript’ and simply means ‘after’. Therefore Fry used the term ‘Post’ Impressionism out of convenience, as opposed to defining any specific style or movement: The term was born of necessity as much as it was convenience. It was necessary to give the younger group of artists a ‘name’. Fry was simply doing so by referring to those younger artists who were indeed coming forth ‘after Manet’ – Manet being the most profound representation of Impressionism. Hence the group was ‘Post Impressionism’. Apart from the ‘time factor’ there was little commitment to definition on his part. Indeed the term was much more significant with regards to marketing than it was to any ‘creation’ of a specific movement.

John Rewald

John Rewald was born in Berlin Germany. He was Jewish and in 1941 emigrated to America. The then director of New York’s Modern Art Museum Alfred Barr sponsored Rewald and in 1943he consulted for the Museum. Today he is still considered to be the expert authority of both Impressionism and Post Impressionism. His book The History of Impressionism was published in 1946 and received acclamation worldwide: His studies and analysis were ground-breaking. As were his continuums History of Post-Impressionism: From van Gogh to Gauguin, published in 1956 and Post-Impressionism: From Gauguin to Matisse (although unfinished). John Rewald stated the term Post Impressionism was “a very precise one, though a very convenient one." – And ultimately it would be his works that ‘defined’ the term Impressionism and Post Impressionism with solid scholarly foundations.

Primarily his definition was dedicated to a time line which included the development of those outstanding French artists working in France from1886 through to 1892: Which included Van Gogh, Gauguin and Seurat. Rewald intended for his Post Impressionism books to "let the sources speak for themselves." - Consequently his ‘definition’ is much more of a narrative than an analysis.

Sir Alan Bowness

Sir Alan Bowness CBE is a renowned contemporary British art historian. For eight years, from 1980 until 1988 he was the director of the famous Tate Gallery in London and it was he who realized the creation of Tate Liverpool and the Clore Gallery at Millbank; which is dedicated to the work of the English Romantic landscape artist and ‘painter of light’ Joseph Mallord William Turner: Whose work is considered to be the ‘Pre-Impressionism’. The first consideration for Sir Alan Bowness has always been British Modern Art: As was Roger Fry’s who virtually single-handedly brought ‘modern art’ to England with Manet and the Post Impressionists. Sir Alan Bowness along with his closest collaborators (who are many and lie at the forefront of modern art) have since contested the ‘solid scholarly foundations’ laid down by Rewald: Their discussion pushing the ‘time line’ of Post-Impressionism to 1914 (the outbreak of War) - Putting the onus primarily upon French artists working during the 1890’s.

Moving On

One thing which is conclusively agreed by all is that the period of Post Impressionist art work ends with Cubism. Overall, with all statements and discussions considered, John Rewald’s historical definition best defines Post impressionism and it is accepted that this includes the paintings created by French artists from 1886 until 1914. For many Van Gogh, Cézanne, Rousseau, Gauguin and Seurat are considered to be ‘outstanding’ Post Impressionist painters: Artists who pushed the concepts and so boundaries of the Impressionists to create new artistic directions – A modern journey which ultimately brought the arts forward and into the future.

Each of these highly profound Post Impressionists developed their own individual style which was ‘born’ of Impressionism: Theirs was an exaggeration. Van Gogh intensified colors applying them thickly and urgently to the canvas; bringing an impulsive and emotional urgency to his oil paintings and so Impressionist concepts. Indeed, his works are considered to bring forth what would promote the Expressionist style – As the Impressionists had promoted the Post Impressionist styles. Seurat’s broken brushstrokes were also born of Impressionism: A style which developed into ‘Pointillism’ – And Paul Cézanne? His development from Impressionism would separate the world into vivid planes of color: And it is this development which now earns him the title as the ‘Father of Modern Art’.

It is impossible to solidly define Post Impressionist art works by style alone: However thickly applied paint, vivid (or unnatural) color, distinct brushstrokes, expressive and geometric form tend to be the ‘inclinations’ of Post Impressionist art works: Per se.....