Photo primitivism 3

Post-Impressionism & Primitivism

  • Period: to

    Post Impressionism

    Not truly a cohesive movement, and was only coined posthumously by an art critic for the artists involved.
    :They rejected the naturalism of Impressionism
    :Thick paints, with vivid and sometimes unnatural or arbitrary colors.
    :They emphasized geometric forms that were distorted in service of expression.
    :Additionally, heavily influenced by Japanese woodblock prints, especially in the case of Van Gogh.
    :Pointilism also made its debut during this time, a scientific approach to art.
  • Bathers at Asnieres

    Bathers at Asnieres

    Georges Seurat, Bathers at Asnieres,1884,oil on canvas,201.2x298.7cm, National Gallery, London.
    :The father of Pointilism made his start here, with vibrant colors all throughout
    :A modern scene, and many of the figures are fairly simplified in shape but otherwise full of color.
    :Bold lines define everyone and everything in this picture
  • The Potato Eaters

    The Potato Eaters

    Vincent Van Gogh, The Potato Eaters, 1885, oil on canvas, 82x114cm, Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam.
    :One of Vincent's first paintings, the darkness seems to increase abstraction in the painting.
    :There's a thick application of paint, and the dark seems to heighten the feeling of desperation for these people.
    :However, other colors involved make these people seem sickly, such as the shades of yellow and red in splotches on the face.
  • The Courtesan (After Eisen)

    The Courtesan (After Eisen)

    Vincent Van Gogh, The Courtesan, 1887, oil on canvas, 105.4x60.3cm, Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam.
    :Beautiful colors, as is usual for for many post-impressionist paintings, especially Van Gogh.
    :However this is a clear example of Japonaiserie, a fascination with the Japanese (Primarily through the Dutch, as they had exclusive trading rights with them) art forms, especially wood-block prints, similar in feel to Orientalism but isn't usually racist, as they were imitating the art forms with care.
  • Young Woman Powdering Herself

    Young Woman Powdering Herself

    Georges Seurat, Young Woman Powdering Herself, 1888, oil on wood,44.8x36.2x7.6cm, Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Texas.
    :Aha! Pointilism! A scientific approach to painting that put dots of colors next to each other to imitate things like a blending of color!
    :Vivid colors, and a rejection of Naturalism from Impressionism in the depiction of a modern woman getting ready for the day.
    :Her figure is definitely more abstracted than normal, as no human could be in that shape.
  • Starry Night

    Starry Night

    Vincent Van Gogh, Starry Night, 1889, oil on canvas,73.7x92.1cm,MoMA, New York.
    :Ah Van Gogh, his most well known painting full to bursting with color, some of it arbitrary in the case of the moon.
    :However, it is thickly and beautifully painted onto the canvas, with each individual brushstroke visible, in the case of the sky especially.
    :Forms all around are distorted, but in service to the expression of the artist and the emotion they want to capture. (Sublime wonder perhaps?)
  • Period: to

    Primitivism

    A heavily Eurocentric trend of white artists taking inspiration from art that came from Africa, Oceania, and Native Americans.
    :potentially used to critique European painting techniques
    :But employed simpler shapes and more abstract figures to seek connection on a spiritual level with an idealized pre-industry past.
    :Many white artists "went native" to fully experience this connection and have illicit relations with native people.
  • Manao Tupapau (Spirit of the Dead Watching)

    Manao Tupapau (Spirit of the Dead Watching)

    Paul Gauguin,Manao Tupapau,1892, oil on burlap mounted on canvas,116.05x134.62x13.34cm, Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Buffalo, New York.
    :This creep painted his child-bride in this position, remniscent of "Olympia", but instead reducing her power by flipping her onto her stomach.
    :Her form is mostly flattened, but the background and foreground aren't very merged.
    :There's also a spirit of the dead in the background, his wife mentioned them following her since marrying him.
  • Two Tahitian Women

    Two Tahitian Women

    Paul Gauguin, Two Tahitian Women, 1899, oil on canvas,94x72.4cm, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.
    :Both women are shown in native dress, partially nude for the gaze of the viewer.
    :They're also seen gathering fruit and unashamed of their nakedness, a potential reference to the Garden of Eden and innocence.
    :They both seem especially young, maybe because they are, but it could be another reference to that childlike innocence that's part of Primitivism.
  • Table, Napkin, Fruit

    Table, Napkin, Fruit

    Paul Cezanne, Table, Napkin, Fruit, 1900,oil on canvas,47x56cm, The Barnes Foundation, Pennsylvania.
    :Incredible color, with an assortment apples, no arbitrary colors otherwise.
    :The background seems to have merged a bit with the foreground however, as it almost looks like the fruits are going to roll right off the table.
    :The form of the apples are somewhat simplified, mostly just basic spheres.
  • Mont Sainte-Victoire

    Mont Sainte-Victoire

    Paul Cezanne, Mont Sainte-Victoire,1905,oil on canvas,73x91.9cm, Philadelphia Museum of Art.
    :Vivid colors abundant!
    :Paul repainted this painting several times throughout his life
    :Thick paint usage with simple geometric forms, yet still beautiful.
  • Les Demoiselles d'Avignon

    Les Demoiselles d'Avignon

    Pablo Picasso, Les Demoiselles d'Avignon,1907, oil on canvas, 243.9x233.7cm,MoMA, New York.
    :Pablo's work here features very basic shapes and bright colors.
    :The two women on the right have faces that are reminiscent of African masks, unfortunately without the original context they were held in.
    :The figures are fairly abstracted as well, with major flattening of them between the background and foreground.
  • Three Women

    Three Women

    Pablo Picasso, Three Women,1908, oil on canvas,200x178cm,State Hermitage Museum, St.Petersburg.
    :Once again, the faces of these 3 women are all made in the same style of African mask as his others
    :The 3 women are all molding into one another, and the only reason they haven't molded into the background is because it's a different color.
    :Each of the figures is also incredibly geometric and simplified from a real life figure.
  • Works Cited

    Works Cited

    Pollitt, Ben. “Smarthistory – Paul Gauguin, Spirit of the Dead Watching.” Smarthistory, 9 Aug. 2015, smarthistory.org/gauguin-spirit-of-the-dead-watching/.
    Harris, Dr. Beth, and Dr. Steven Zucker. “Smarthistory – Pablo Picasso, Les Demoiselles d’avignon.” Smarthistory, 9 Aug. 2015, smarthistory.org/pablo-picasso-les-demoiselles-davignon/.
    Cramer, Dr. Charles, and Dr. Kim Grant. “Smarthistory – Pablo Picasso, Three Women.” Smarthistory, 7 Apr. 2020, smarthistory.org/pablo-picasso-three-women/.
  • Works Cited #2

    “Paul Gauguin - Two Tahitian Women.” The Metropolitan Museum of Art, www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/436446. Accessed 1 Oct. 2025.
    Harvey, Ben. “Smarthistory – Paul Cézanne, Mont Sainte-Victoire.” Smarthistory, 9 Aug. 2015, smarthistory.org/cezanne-mont-sainte-victoire/. Accessed 1 Oct. 2025.
    “Table, Napkin, and Fruit (Un Coin de Table) (1895-1900) by Paul Cezanne.” Artchive, www.artchive.com/artwork/table-napkin-and-fruit-un-coin-de-table-paul-cezanne-1895-1900/. Accessed 1 Oct. 2025.
  • Works Cited #4

    Harris, Dr. Beth, and Dr. Steven Zucker. “Smarthistory – Vincent van Gogh, the Potato Eaters.” Smarthistory, 8 Jan. 2020, smarthistory.org/van-gogh-potato-eaters/. Accessed Oct 1, 2025.
    Paulson, Dr. Noelle. “Smarthistory – Vincent van Gogh, The Starry Night.” Smarthistory, 9 Aug. 2015, smarthistory.org/van-gogh-the-starry-night/. Accessed Oct 1, 2025.
  • Works Cited #3

    Harris, Dr. Beth, and Dr. Steven Zucker. “Smarthistory – Georges Seurat, Bathers at Asnières.” Smarthistory, 27 Nov. 2015, smarthistory.org/georges-seurat-bathers-at-asnieres/.
    “Young Woman Powdering Herself | All Works | the MFAH Collections.” The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, emuseum.mfah.org/objects/43859/young-woman-powdering-herself. Accessed 2 Oct. 2025.
  • Works Cited #5

    “Courtesan: After Eisen - Vincent Van Gogh - Google Arts Culture.” Google, Google, artsandculture.google.com/asset/courtesan-after-eisen-vincent-van-gogh/qQE--vZw_i8aPA?hl=en. Accessed 1 Oct. 2025.