Post-Impressionism is a predominantly French art movement that developed roughly between 1886 and 1905, as a reaction against Impressionism's focus on naturalistic representation and its concern for the opticality of color and light
. The movement emerged as a reaction against Impressionism's concern for the naturalistic representation of the world and its focus on the opticality of color and light
. Post-Impressionism encompasses a wide range of distinct artistic styles that share the common motivation of responding to the opticality of color and shape to describe the world around them
. Key characteristics of Post-Impressionism include:
- Emphasis on abstract form and pattern in the application of paint
- Use of vivid colors, thick application of paint, and real-life subject matter
- Rejection of Impressionism's limitations in favor of more ambitious expression
- Influence on subsequent movements, such as Neo-Impressionism, Symbolism, Cloisonnism, and Synthetism
Some notable Post-Impressionist artists include:
- Georges Seurat
- Vincent van Gogh
- Paul Cézanne
- Paul Gauguin
- Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
The movement's diverse styles and the artists' dedication to pursuing unique means of artistic expression dramatically influenced generations of artists, including the Nabis, German Expressionists, the Fauves, Pablo Picasso, Georges Braque, and American modernists such as Marsden Hartley and John Marin
