Impressionism and Post Impressonism
The Impressionist movement started during the 19th century. They were focused on capturing the fleeting moment, since they could no longer compete with the camera. They wanted to depict a moment in time that would never be the same again. Impressionists did this by using noticeable brushstrokes and thick paint to create the chaos of the changing moment. Furthermore, the invention of the portable easel and the paint tube allowed artist to paint outside. Some of the first impressionists include, Renoir, Monet, Manet, Degas, and Pissaro.
Post Impressionism was started in the late 1800's when a group of artists sought free independent art styles that expressed emotions rather than impressions and thoughts. They concentrated on deeper meanings and symbolism. Post Impressionists pushed the limits of Impressionism to new heights. Each artist took a feature from Impressionism and exaggerated and stretched it. For example, van Gogh took the bright colors of Impressionism and brightened and intensified them. Some famous Post Impressionists are, Vincent can Gogh, Paul Cezanne, Paul Gauguin, nadn George Seurat. Robert Rosemblum said, "Post Impressionists... felt the need to construct private pictorial words upon the foundations of Impressionism".
Post Impressionism was started in the late 1800's when a group of artists sought free independent art styles that expressed emotions rather than impressions and thoughts. They concentrated on deeper meanings and symbolism. Post Impressionists pushed the limits of Impressionism to new heights. Each artist took a feature from Impressionism and exaggerated and stretched it. For example, van Gogh took the bright colors of Impressionism and brightened and intensified them. Some famous Post Impressionists are, Vincent can Gogh, Paul Cezanne, Paul Gauguin, nadn George Seurat. Robert Rosemblum said, "Post Impressionists... felt the need to construct private pictorial words upon the foundations of Impressionism".
Impressionism
Vincent van Gogh uses large noticeable brushstrokes, unlike in the Renaissance, when the brushstrokes were hidden. Van Gogh uses bright vibrant colors. Each artist took a characteristic of Impressionism and exaggerated and stretched it. For example, van Gogh took the bright colors of the impressionists and brightened and intensified them, also he used them in contrast and in ordinary ways to make his own statement.
In The Starry Night, he uses bright blue and yellow, to create the undulating sky. He uses the colors and the brushstrokes to create the feeling and action of the moment, especially in the sky. “I dream my painting and I paint my dream.” - van Gogh
Vincent van Gogh, The Starry Night, 1889
Museum of Modern Art, New York, USA
In The Starry Night, he uses bright blue and yellow, to create the undulating sky. He uses the colors and the brushstrokes to create the feeling and action of the moment, especially in the sky. “I dream my painting and I paint my dream.” - van Gogh
Vincent van Gogh, The Starry Night, 1889
Museum of Modern Art, New York, USA
Renoir's brush strokes are broad, quick, short, and dabbed on the painting. Renoir tries to capture the picture of the moment. He showed the movement that could change in one second with fleeting brushstrokes and color. In La Moulin de la Galette, objects are depicted with brushstrokes to show the movement and flow between one second and the next. The blurred figures create mystery and the flurry of the moment and time. Renoir's brushstrokes are spontaneous making the picture look as if the scene was just a second in time. Renoir uses a wide variety of colors; green, blue, red, brown, yellow, white, and pink. Renoir never used black. Renoir combines blues and whites to create the floor and fabric. To create light shining through the trees he uses lighter shades of color like pink and on the darker colors. He bathes the figures with patches of light and dark shadows. The light he creates is beautiful and reflects perfectly off of his subjects.
Auguste Renoir, La Moulin de la Galette, 1876
Musée d'Orsay, France
Auguste Renoir, La Moulin de la Galette, 1876
Musée d'Orsay, France
Post Impressionsim
Gauguin uses large, noticeable, and bold brushstrokes, unlike the Impressionists who painted in small dabs. The brush strokes go in horizontal and vertical directions. Gauguin outlines his figures in sharp black lines, creating a flat effect. Gauguin uses bright colors. For example green for the ocean and bright pink for the woman's dress. He also uses brown, black, yellow, and white. Gauguin blends brown, yellow, and green to create the skin color of the people. He creates flat shapes and uses non naturalistic colors. His bright colors attract the viewers eye and startle them, for it is different from anything seen before.
Paul Gauguin, Femmes de Tahiti, 1891
Musee d'Orsay, Paris
Paul Gauguin, Femmes de Tahiti, 1891
Musee d'Orsay, Paris
This painting by Georges Seurat is painted in a style that has never clearly been seen before, pointillism. Each "stroke" is a dot of paint. He uses green, brown, red, yellow, blue, brown, white, and black. Seurat contrasted little dots of paint so that to the viewer, they would blend together as one color. This makes the colors more strong and powerful than just brushstrokes of one color. Furthermore, he surrounded the painting with a border of colorful dots of paint.
Georges Seurat, Sunday Afternoon on the Island of Grande Jatte, 1884-1885
Art Institute of Chicago Building, Illinois, USA
Georges Seurat, Sunday Afternoon on the Island of Grande Jatte, 1884-1885
Art Institute of Chicago Building, Illinois, USA