Post-impressionist hand-painted oil paintings hold a unique position in the history of art. The following is an analysis from several aspects including creative concepts, color application, brushstroke techniques, composition forms, and subject selection:
Creative concept
Emphasizing subjective emotions: Post-Impressionist painters were dissatisfied with the overly objective depiction of the world by the Impressionists and advocated for the expression of the artist’s subjective world, believing that art should be faithful to an individual’s feelings and experiences. They transform objective images with subjective emotions, making the works expressions of their inner world. For instance, Van Gogh’s works are brimming with passion and intense emotions. Through colors and brushstrokes, he conveys complex feelings such as his love for life and his struggle against fate.
Focus on formal structure: Post-Impressionism emphasizes the representation of the concreteness, stability and internal structure of matter, aiming to create a sense of weight, volume, stability and grandeur in images, and ultimately achieve the effects of simplification and geometry. Cezanne liked to simplify the natural state of objects and explore their internal geometric structure. He hoped to “summarize nature with cylinders, squares and cones”, and this focus on formal structure laid the foundation for later Cubism and abstractionism.
Colour application
Bold and vivid: Post-Impressionist painters boldly adopted bright tones, not adhering to the true colors of objective objects, but rather choosing and combining colors based on emotional and expressive needs. Van Gogh’s works feature extremely bright and vivid colors, with bold use of hues. For instance, his “Sunflowers” series takes a vibrant and bright yellow as the main tone, which catches the eye. Although the branches and leaves wither, the light and heat of the sunflowers that burst forth make one’s mind unable to calm down for a long time.
It has symbolic significance: In post-impressionist oil paintings, color often also has symbolic significance. Painters express specific emotions and thoughts through color. For instance, blue might symbolize melancholy and mystery, while red might symbolize passion and vitality, etc.
Brushstroke technique
Short and orderly: Post-Impressionist painters were short and orderly in their brushstrokes, each with its own characteristics. Van Gogh was skilled at using undulating lines, namely curves, which, like waves following one after another, were full of passion and dynamism. In his works, one can feel the vitality of life and the surging of emotions.
Thick piling up: In order to find the turning points of the basic form structure and blocks, post-Impressionist painters would turn the strokes into concentrated blocks on the surface for a more abstract expression, making the outline more relaxed. Cezanne’s later works feature a broad and modern brushwork. Many representative works reflect a thick stack, such as “Mont Sainte-Victoire”, where each individual block and form is thickly stacked and placed in a simple and orderly manner on the canvas.
Brushwork technique: Van Gogh’s brushstrokes are highly subjective. He often downplays the Outlines of objects and emphasizes the immediate effect of colors. Some colors have strong contrasts and no transitions. Also, because it is necessary to depict detailed color changes, the brushwork often uses dot strokes, that is, to dot the colors one by one on the picture.
Composition form
Breaking Tradition: Post-Impressionist painters broke the traditional composition rules and pursued a more free and personalized composition approach. They are no longer confined to focal perspective and symmetrical balance, but compose according to the needs of emotion and expression. For instance, Gauguin’s works feature simplified composition and are highly decorative. He often flattenes the elements in his paintings, breaking the traditional sense of space.
Emphasizing the relationship of composition: Post-Impressionism places greater emphasis on the relationship of composition, believing that artistic images should be distinct from the objects in life. The painter creates a unique visual effect and sense of rhythm through the combination, arrangement and contrast of elements.
Subject selection
Daily life and Nature: Post-Impressionist painters focused on daily life and natural landscapes. They discovered beauty from ordinary things and expressed it through artistic means. For instance, Cezanne created a large number of still life and landscape paintings. Through the depiction of objects such as fruits, bottles and mountains, he explored the relationship between form and color.
Symbolism and Fantasy: Some post-Impressionist painters also chose themes of symbolism and fantasy to express their thoughts on life, the universe and religion. Gauguin’s works often carry symbolic meanings. By depicting the indigenous life of Tahiti, he expresses his criticism of modern civilization and his yearning for primitive life.