Essay example --

Post Impressionism Essays 1. Post impressionism is a term that is used to describe a group of late-19th century and early-20th century artists whose work helped art transition into a new era. These artist defied the naturalism of the Impressionist to explore color, line, and form. This rebellion led to the development of Expressionism. Generally, the approaches were so varied that it is difficult just to focus on one artist and their technique. One of the most prominent Post-Impressionist artists was Vincent Van Gogh. His work is best known for its rough ascetic and bold colors. Van Gogh favored fauvism, which was a movement that implemented vivid expressionistic and non-naturalistic color. Van Gogh’s color was typically saturated and arbitrary. Most of Van Gogh’s paintings show gestural brushwork and examples include: Starry Night and Wheatfield with Cypresses. Also, he often experimented with different perspectives. Another influential post-impressionist artists was George Seurat. Seurat’s main emphasises were surrealism and expressionism. Seurat used Renaissance techniques and styles, creating a hybrid approach to Post-Impressionism. This scientific, more disciplined approach is called Pointillism or Neo-Impressionism. Pointillism is characterized by applying many small dots of pure color so that they become blended to the viewer’s eye. The aim of pointillism is to produce a greater degree of luminosity and brilliance of color. With his new techniques, Seurat generally painted the middle class during their leisure time and his subjects include circus, parks, and harbors. Paul Gauguin was a leading French post impressionist artist whose focus was his imagination. He worked in a studio and experimented with color. His wo... ...rit of the dead, watches over her. Gauguin, in this painting, created a supernatural and fearful aura in this painting. Gauguin experimented with color to arouse deep emotion. Besides the upsetting color, the general composition of the painting is disturbing. The old woman in the background that is watching the girl is eerie. A painting that inspired The Spirit of the Walking Dead was Olympia by Manet. With the completion of Olympia, Manet had set a new precedent for the modern female nude. Also, Manet rejected the standards and challenged people’s morality with his painting. Gauguin's painting challenged society by its form. The most shocking thing about the woman depicted is her age. When this was painted, she was fourteen. Also, the body is disproportionate. An example of this is how her hands are larger than her feet and how her body is awkwardly positioned.