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Impressionism vs Post-Impressionism: What’s the Difference?

Impressionism and Post-Impressionism are significant movements in art history. They transformed the way we perceive color, light, and form, leaving a lasting impact on the artistic landscape. Nonetheless, the term ‘Impressionism’ is occasionally used to refer to both of these art movements. In fact, they are actually distinct from one another in several ways. In this blog post, we look at the difference between Impressionism vs Post-Impressionism.

Trees Abstract, oil pastel painting, impressionism vs post-impressionism, buy on Saatchi Art
Trees Abstract, Impressionism, oil pastel painting, © Rhonda Roth, All Rights Reserved. Buy on Saatchi Art

What is Impressionism?

Impression, Sunrise, Claude Monet, 1872. Impressionism vs Post-Impressionism
Impression, Sunrise, Claude Monet, 1872. Impressionism

Impressionism emerged in France during the late 19th century, primarily between the 1860s and 1880s. The movement got its name from art critic Louis Leroy while viewing Claude Monet’s painting ‘Impression, Sunrise’. Leroy disparaged the painting as appearing unfinished like a sketch, being no more than an impression of a scene. The impressionist artists didn’t mind, so the name stuck.

The Harvest of Hay in Eragny, Camille Pissarro, 1887, Impressionism vs Post-Impressionism
The Harvest of Hay in Eragny, Camille Pissarro, 1887, Impressionism

Impressionist artists felt the name ‘Impressionism’ described the essence of their work: capturing the fleeting effects of light and color. Their goal was depicting the interaction of light and subject at any time, day or night, indoors or outdoors. Famous Impressionist artists included Claude Monet, Camille Pissarro, Berthe Morisot, and Mary Cassatt.

Young Girl with a Fan, Berthe Morisot, 1893, Impressionism vs Post-Impressionism
Young Girl with a Fan, Berthe Morisot, 1893, Impressionism
At the Theater (Lydia Cassatt Leaning on Her Arms, Seated in a Loge), Mary Cassatt, 1880, Impressionism vs Post-Impressionism
At the Theater (Lydia Cassatt Leaning on Her Arms, Seated in a Loge), Mary Cassatt, 1880, Impressionism

What is Post-Impressionism?

Portrait of Doctor Gachet, Van Gogh,  impressionism vs post-impressionism
Portrait of Doctor Gachet, Van Gogh, 1890, Post-Impressionism

Post-Impressionism arose in the late 19th century, between the 1880s and the early 1900s, as a reaction against the limitations of Impressionism. While they retained the Impressionist emphasis on depicting light and color, Post-Impressionists explored more emotional and symbolic content in their work.

Bathers at Asnières, Georges Seurat, 1884, Impressionism vs Post-Impressionism
Bathers at Asnières, Georges Seurat, 1884, Post-Impressionism

The world isn’t a perfect place, and these artists found a release for their angst through art. Famous Post-Impressionist artists included Vincent van Gogh, Georges Seurat, Henri Toulouse-Lautrec, and Henri Rousseau.

At the Moulin Rouge, The Dance, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, 1890. Impressionism vs Post-Impressionism
At the Moulin Rouge, The Dance, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, 1890. Post-Impressionism
The Sleeping Gypsy, Henri Rousseau, 1897, Impressionism vs Post-Impressionism
The Sleeping Gypsy, Henri Rousseau, 1897, Post-Impressionism

Impressionism vs Post-Impressionism Styles

Key Features of Impressionism

Haystack at Giverny, Claude Monet, 1886, Impressionism vs Post-Impressionism
Haystack at Giverny, Claude Monet, 1886, Impressionism

En Plein Air: Impressionists painted outdoors, or began paintings outdoors, capturing the spontaneity of light and color at a given moment.
Light and Color: They used vibrant, broken colors conveying the effects of light, often experimenting with color contrasts. For example, Monet used complementary colors for light and shadow in many of his works.
Subject Matter: Typical themes included landscapes, urban scenes, leisure activities, and everyday subjects.
Brushwork: Loose, broken brushstrokes characterize Impressionist art adding to the feeling of vibrancy.

Key features of Post-Impressionism:

The Bartender, Henri Toulouse-Lautrec, 1900, Impressionism vs Post-Impressionism
The Bartender, Henri Toulouse-Lautrec, 1900, Post-Impressionism

Emotional Depth: Artists expressed their emotions and feelings through their works, choosing colors and forms that conveyed deeper meanings.
Structural Forms: Unlike the loose brushwork of Impressionism, Post-Impressionists used more defined shapes and forms.
Variety of Styles: This movement encompassed various styles, from the bold colors of Van Gogh to the pointillism of Seurat.

Impressionism vs Post-Impressionism: Artistic Legacy

Breaking Traditional Norms: Impressionism challenged the conventions of realism. Artists focused on capturing light and movement rather than fine details. This shift paved the way for new artistic expressions.

Emphasis on Light and Color: Impressionist painters like Monet used vibrant colors to depict scenes. Their innovative techniques inspired future movements to explore color in diverse ways.

Exploration of Emotion and Meaning: Post-Impressionism moved beyond mere representation. Artists like Van Gogh infused their works with personal emotions. This focus on subjective experience influenced modern art.

Unconventional Subject Matter: By depicting commonplace subjects and activities, both Impressionism and Post-Impressionism deviated from the style of previous art movements.

In a nutshell, these two art movements laid the groundwork for various 20th-century styles, shaping the evolution of art as we know it today.

Except where noted, all images on this page are in the Public Domain.

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