Post-Impressionism and Van Gogh: The Conduit in Art History. Essay

In my research / readings of my chosen Artist, I found a lot of information about them that I will descibe individually. Based on the biography, It has been stated that Vincent “was a most well known post-impressionism Artist, for whom color was the chief symbol of expression, he was highly emotional, lacked self-confidence and struggled with his identity and with direction.” (Templeton Reid) In the late 1800’s is when Vincent basically made the decision to become an Artist, in which he wanted to provide some type of Happiness because he was able to create beauty (Templeton Reid). As you review the art chosen above by Vincent Van Gogh, you will notice the colors used were dark i.e. Greens, Oranges, Blues, with splashes of yellow to create the sun, which led me to believe that maybe this was when he was in the dark place of his life. In the Van Gogh painting, I see big trees with the nice bright sun shining over the blue water, while looking at the trees it makes me feel safe because of the openness of the surrounding space, also the brightness of the sun and the coolness of the water makes me calm and relaxed, it’s just something about being in nature that gives me a sense of peace and direction, nothing to distract or disturb me.

Post-impressionism and Pop Art resulted as an artistic reaction on both sides. Post-Impressionism groups diverse pictorial tendencies that arose in France surroundings to 1880-1905 like reaction to the impressionism. In the other hand pop art was an artistic reaction to abstract expressionism. It can seem surprising the fact that in so short space of time, as soon as a quarter of century, so many evolutions and involutions in the land of art have taken place, mainly considering that until second half of century XIX, the great

Lastly, the works of Mary Cassatt and Auguste Renoir are typical examples of the artistic movement known as Impressionism. In the 1870’s Impressionism

Impressionist art brought with it a characteristic and long-lasting originality and approachability that, until now, was never found in the art of earlier periods. The interests of these painters seem to be relevant to our own and function humbly by exciting our visual contentment. The term “impressionism” itself entails a great assemblage of extraordinary painters who have changed the artistic world, as we know it.

Impressionism, French Impressionnisme, is defined in the American Heritage Dictionary as “a theory or style of painting originating and developed in France during the 1870s, characterized by concentration on the immediate visual impression produced by a scene and by the use of unmixed primary colors and small strokes to simulate actual reflected light.” Impressionist painting comprises the works of art produced between about 1867 and 1886 by a group of artists that shared related techniques and approaches to art. The title ‘Impressionism’ originated from the influence of Claude Monet and his famous painting, Impression Sunrise. This movement

Within this shifting climate discontent could be seen amongst the current artists of the time, the previous movements from the 1930’s (Regionalism and social realism) were no longer relevant, and from this need for change, the artists responded with a bold new perspective, Abstract Expressionism. (Visual-arts-cork.com, 2017)

Unquestionably, Hokusai’s print mirrors many aspects of the Ukiyo-e movement in that it did become a popular landscape print all over the world; in addition, the poetic interplay between stylistic and naturalistic methods of depiction makes it an ornate and sophisticated piece. Moreover, the print demonstrates one aspect of Romanticism, which was the movement that took place in the West during the same exact time; namely, the emphasis of nature, its sublimity, the terror and awe is crucial in interpreting the theme of the print. Subsequently, Van Gogh’s painting was completed in 1889, which falls under the post-impressionist movement. Artists in this movement strayed from the previous Impressionist movement, expressing more emotions and symbolic content rather than optical/visual impressions, although the use of simple colors

There is no denying that art has been constantly redefined throughout history. Art has consistently been catered to fit what society wants and needs it to be, from realism to abstract and idealized Greek statues to intricate cathedral ceilings. However the Impressionist Movement of the 19th century brought a whole new dimension to the art community. Oscar-Claude Monet, a founders of the Impressionism, used his art to not only showcase a subject but to present it in a way that was completely extraordinary. Surrendering harsh lines and distinct shapes, Monet used brush textures and contrasting color palettes to open up a whole other perspective with which to observe the world. Monet commandeered these distinct techniques in his efforts to focus on the illustration of light effects on his subjects. This can be seen in his piece, The Rouen Cathedral, Façade (Sunset), Harmonie in Gold and Blue.

In the late 19th century, younger artists found themselves frustrated within the confinements of Impressionism rules. Consequently, they wanted to challenge these limitations to focus on the structural, emotional and symbolic elements within their works. So, what mark did the Post-Impressionism Movement leave within the story of Art ?

The roots of Impressionism are historically tied to both technological innovation and societal transformation of the nineteenth century. Representing a shift from purely symbolic style of romanticism, to the depiction of the everyday and mundane, while still attempting to capture the essence of its subject. From urban recreation to landscapes, the transitory nature of modern life began to

Beyond the simple fact that one (post-impressionism) cannot have existed without the other (impressionism) the revolutionary technique shared by both movements; small, generally circular or curved strokes, brilliant colors, use of light, and subject matter that reached beyond the traditional scope ties them together in a unique and easily identifiable manner. One cannot view Monet’s Impressions: soleil levant and Van Gogh’s Starry Night without instantly seeing the undeniable similarities; both artists’ use of light and deliberate brush strokes leave the viewer with little doubt about the artistic movements from which they came.

Post-Impressionist artists were influenced by the Impressionism movement, but rejected its limitations and embarked on their own artistic styles which were more spiritually and emotionally based than impressionist work. They wanted to portray emotion and intellect as well as the visual imagery. Vincent Van Gogh was a Dutch Post-Impressionist artist whose work is known for its vivid colors and emotional impact. Although he sold only one painting during his lifetime, Van Gogh now is one of the most popular artists of all time. Van Gogh's mental instability provided a source of emotional reflection on his

It is a huge thought that artwork is famous from the emotions it shows. People can feel happy, sad, and mad just by the way art piece is represented. These artists are more interested in expressing emotional experience and less focused on realism. The art work is about the feeling at the time. The two artists Edvard Beardsley, and Shen Zhou created two pieces that expressed the emotions they felt about someone or themselves. Emotions are a huge part of people and also art. In the two art work, it shows the motivation to find the worth from behind every experience.

Post-impressionism was an art movement between the end of 19th century and the beginning of 20th century, started in France. It was a breach of Impressionism. During the period of Impressionism, some artists started to dissatisfied to the style as Impressionism depended too much on visual and scientific analysis. They thought Impressionism only focused on the techniques and

Throughout the course, we have learned about different types of modern works. The beauty of learning the history behind them is to better understand how from one form of painting grows from the other. In this case, impressionist and symbolist works have followed each other in terms of popularity and yet have extremely different aesthetics. Using the paintings, Dance at Le moulin de la Galette (Bal du moulin de la Galette) by Pierre-Auguste Renoir and The Eye like a Strange Balloon Mounts toward Infinity (L'Œil, comme un ballon bizarre se dirige vers l'infini)