Synthetism is a post-Impressionist art movement that emerged in the late 19th century, primarily through the works of French artists such as Paul Gauguin, Émile Bernard, and Louis Anquetin. Its distinctive approach was to emphasize symbolic meaning, flat areas of color, and a simplified representation of forms. This movement served as a reaction to both the naturalism of the Impressionists and the academic realism that had dominated the European art scene for much of the 19th century.
A Study of Synthetism
Origins and Development
The term "Synthetism" was coined from the French word "synthèse," which means to combine or synthesize. In art, it refers to the synthesis of different elements of painting: color, form, and subject matter, to convey the artist’s personal interpretation of a scene rather than a direct representation of reality. By merging these elements, the artists sought to capture a deeper, more emotional, and spiritual essence in their work.
Synthetism arose during the late 1880s and early 1890s, a period marked by dissatisfaction with the strict adherence to naturalism and realism in the art world. Paul Gauguin, who is often regarded as the central figure of this movement, broke away from Impressionism’s focus on light and naturalistic color. His travels to Brittany and later Tahiti exposed him to primitive art forms, which deeply influenced his search for a more profound way of depicting reality.
The movement was closely tied to the Pont-Aven School, a colony of avant-garde artists in Brittany. It was here, alongside artists like Émile Bernard and Louis Anquetin, that the groundwork for Synthetism was laid. Their collaboration resulted in the development of a style that moved away from mimetic representation towards a more expressive and symbolic approach to art.
Gauguin and Bernard’s works began to be characterized by flat, unmodulated areas of color, the use of heavy black outlines, and simplified forms. These elements combined to create compositions that emphasized the emotional or symbolic significance of the subject rather than a faithful reproduction of nature.
Key Characteristics of Synthetism
Flat Areas of Color: Unlike Impressionism, which focused on light effects and subtle color gradations, Synthetist artists applied bold, flat colors in large areas. This technique was inspired partly by Japanese woodcuts and medieval stained glass windows, both of which use large fields of color to create vivid images. For example, in Gauguin's The Vision After the Sermon (1888), the use of vibrant, flat reds and other primary colors intensifies the emotional impact of the scene.
Simplified Forms: Instead of realistic depictions, Synthetism simplified shapes and forms to their most basic elements, often exaggerating them to emphasize the emotional or symbolic meaning. Human figures, landscapes, and objects were depicted in a stylized manner, reducing unnecessary details to focus on essential qualities. Gauguin’s Yellow Christ (1889) illustrates this technique, as the figure of Christ is depicted in a simple, almost primitive style, stripped of realism.
Symbolism: Synthetist paintings often convey symbolic meaning beyond the mere representation of subjects. The choice of color, form, and composition was meant to evoke an emotional response from the viewer, often connected to spiritual or psychological themes. This was aligned with the broader Symbolist movement in art and literature during the period, which sought to express abstract ideas and emotions. Gauguin’s Where Do We Come From? What Are We? Where Are We Going? (1897) is one of the best examples of this, as it explores existential questions through a symbolic narrative.
Emphasis on Line: Strong outlines were a crucial component of Synthetist works. Artists used bold, dark lines to delineate forms, creating a graphic quality in their paintings that echoed the aesthetics of cloisonné enamelwork or Japanese ukiyo-e prints. This technique created a clear separation between areas of color, emphasizing the flatness of the composition and rejecting the illusion of depth.
Key Artists of Synthetism
Paul Gauguin: As the leading figure of Synthetism, Gauguin’s works often combined elements of primitivism, spirituality, and symbolism. His time spent in Tahiti heavily influenced his work, leading to vibrant depictions of indigenous culture, landscapes, and myths. Gauguin’s rejection of Western norms in favor of exotic and mystical themes contributed significantly to the movement’s development.
Émile Bernard: A close associate of Gauguin, Bernard played a significant role in shaping Synthetism’s theoretical foundations. His paintings from the late 1880s, such as Breton Women in the Meadow (1888), exemplify the movement’s emphasis on flat colors and simplified forms. Bernard also contributed to the intellectual discourse surrounding Synthetism, writing extensively about its principles.
Louis Anquetin: An early proponent of the style, Anquetin’s work was characterized by large, bold color areas outlined in black, a technique reminiscent of medieval stained glass. His contributions to Synthetism were overshadowed by Gauguin’s fame, but his influence on the movement’s early development was substantial.
Legacy and Influence
While Synthetism was relatively short-lived as a distinct movement, its impact on the development of modern art was significant. It provided a bridge between the naturalism of the 19th century and the abstract tendencies of the 20th century, influencing a wide range of artists and movements.
Cloisonnism and Symbolism: Synthetism gave rise to Cloisonnism, a style characterized by the use of bold outlines to separate areas of color, much like the technique used in stained glass or cloisonné enamelwork. This approach was a precursor to many modern art styles that rejected realistic representation in favor of abstraction.
Expressionism and Fauvism: The use of expressive color and simplified forms in Synthetist works had a direct impact on the development of Expressionism and Fauvism in the early 20th century. Artists such as Henri Matisse and André Derain, who were influenced by Gauguin’s bold color palette and symbolic approach, pushed these ideas further by using even more radical color choices to express emotion.
Primitivism and Modernism: Synthetism’s exploration of “primitive” art forms, particularly through Gauguin’s work, laid the groundwork for Primitivism, a key influence in 20th-century modernism. Gauguin’s interest in non-Western cultures and his rejection of European academic traditions inspired later artists like Pablo Picasso and the Surrealists to explore primitive art forms as a means of breaking free from conventional artistic norms.
Examples of Synthetism Artworks
Gauguin's Synthetism In "Vision after the Sermon (Jacob Wrestling with the Angel)" Painting
The French artist Paul Gauguin completed oil painting in 1888. Vision after the Sermon (Jacob Wrestling with the Angel) was painted in Pont-Aven, Brittany, France. and is now exhibited in the Scottish National Gallery, Edinburgh.
Vision after the Sermon depicts a scene from the Bible in which Jacob wrestles an angel. The artwork depicts this indirectly, through a vision that the women depicted see after a sermon in church.
Gauguin painted Vision After the Sermon to mark his interest in interpreting religious subject matter in a highly personal synthetism style.
Gauguin is leaning towards abstraction. The brown trunk, black garments, white hats, and red field are painted with minimal color shading. Gauguin is showing his interest in moving away from impressionism towards a more abstract, even symbolic, manner of painting.
While formal elements of Gauguin's paintings reflect the influence of Japanese prints,
Gauguin's choice of subject matter and composition are uniquely his own.
Gauguin structured the painting by placing a tree trunk diagonally through its center. By sectioning the image this way, he creates a visual separation between the Breton women and their vision of an angel wrestling with Jacob.
The women, one of whom clasps her hands in prayer, are wearing a variety of white hats and seem to be the ones having this vision.
This compositional decision is developed to frame the main subjects of the painting. The curve of the trunk follows the line of the head of the center-most figure. The branches and leaves shoot out directly toward the upper right corner of the painting to form a second frame around the angel and Jacob.
The vivid reds, black, and white contribute to the visual energy of the scene and catch the viewer's atthetion from the first moment.
Gauguin Synthetism In the Green Christ Painting
The Green Christ (in French: Le Christ vert) is an oil on canvas painting executed by Paul Gauguin in the Autumn of 1889 in Pont-Aven, Brittany, The Green Christ artwork is an example of symbolic Synthetism in painting.
The woman appears to be hiding from a pair of figures in the distant background; the green Christ providing her cover from these people.
The Green Christ depicts a Breton woman at the foot of a calvary or sculpture of Christ's crucifixion. Calvaries are common in town squares in Brittany.
Topographically, the site depicted is the Atlantic coast at Le Pouldu. But the calvary depicted is an amalgam of several calvaries from different places.
The cross is based upon the calvary in the center of Névez, a community close to Pont-Aven, located several miles from the coast, and the figure of Christ is based upon the calvary at Briec, also at some distance from the sea.
Conclusion
Synthetism played a crucial role in the transition from 19th-century realism and naturalism to the abstract and symbolic tendencies that defined modern art. Through its emphasis on flat color, simplified forms, and symbolism, the movement sought to convey deeper emotional and spiritual truths rather than mere visual representation. Though short-lived, its influence reverberated throughout the 20th century, shaping the evolution of modernist movements like Expressionism, Fauvism, and Primitivism.
In its boldness and innovation, Synthetism opened new pathways for artists to explore subjective and symbolic experiences, laying the foundation for many of the experimental styles that would follow in the next century.
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