Biographical Criticism Psychological: the painting is an expression of the state of mind and the personality of the author Psychoanalytical: the forbidden, sometimes sexual wishes of a person come into conflict with the standards of society and are expressed in the conscious realm of the artist;’s mind, and in the works of art Psychobiographical: an artist’s development is manifest in his psychological state as seen in his works of art

Psychological: the painting is an expression of the state of mind and the personality of the author

Psychoanalytical: the forbidden, sometimes sexual wishes of a person come into conflict with the standards of society and are expressed in the conscious realm of the artist;’s mind, and in the works of art

Psychobiographical: an artist’s development is manifest in his psychological state as seen in his works of art

Post-Impressionism Toulouse-Lautrec, At the Moulin Rouge Zigzag composition Pitiless representation of figures Gauguin’s influence in the large areas of flat color Joyless, oppressive; people out to have a good time, but achieve none Self-portrait as a short bearded man in background with his very tall cousin Off-key colors Tilted perspective of Japanese prints People tend to be aging, flabby, cynical

Toulouse-Lautrec, At the Moulin Rouge

Zigzag composition

Pitiless representation of figures

Gauguin’s influence in the large areas of flat color

Joyless, oppressive; people out to have a good time, but achieve none

Self-portrait as a short bearded man in background with his very tall cousin

Off-key colors

Tilted perspective of Japanese prints

People tend to be aging, flabby, cynical

Vincent Van Gogh 1853 - 1890

 Tactile surface of painting  Brushstrokes conveying emotion and inner reality  Not an imitation of nature  Forerunner of expressionism  Major emphasis on texture, line and color  Colors were vivid, bright and strong  Deeply impressed by Millet and Social art Missionary zeal

 Tactile surface of painting

 Brushstrokes conveying emotion and inner reality

 Not an imitation of nature

 Forerunner of expressionism

 Major emphasis on texture, line and color

 Colors were vivid, bright and strong

 Deeply impressed by Millet and Social art

Missionary zeal

Post-Impressionism Van Gogh, The Starry Night Painted from his room at the hospital at St-Rémy Mountains of the Lapillus could be seen from his window Steepness of the mountains is exaggerated Deep forces of the universe playing out on the canvas Visionary sense of power Discordant colors Thick, swirling paint strokes Unconventional perspective Strong waves splashing from left to right Sky movement echoed in mountains and trees Two verticals interrupt flow: cypress tree and church steeple A religious message?

Van Gogh, The Starry Night

Painted from his room at the hospital at St-Rémy

Mountains of the Lapillus could be seen from his window

Steepness of the mountains is exaggerated

Deep forces of the universe playing out on the canvas

Visionary sense of power

Discordant colors

Thick, swirling paint strokes

Unconventional perspective

Strong waves splashing from left to right

Sky movement echoed in mountains and trees

Two verticals interrupt flow: cypress tree and church steeple

A religious message?

Paul Gauguin (1848 – 1903)  Emphasizes the use of bright, non-naturalistic colors  Emphasizes the use of flat planes of color  Rejected notions of Western naturalism  Often employs symbolic or primitive subjects  Interested in the primitive man, a removal from the norms and mores of society  Rejected notions of Western naturalism  Uses nature as a starting point from to abstract figures and symbols  Stressed linear patterns and color harmonies  Tried to include a profound sense of mystery BOTH strength and intensity over the slick and superficial

Paul Gauguin (1848 – 1903)

 Emphasizes the use of bright, non-naturalistic colors

 Emphasizes the use of flat planes of color

 Rejected notions of Western naturalism

 Often employs symbolic or primitive subjects

 Interested in the primitive man, a removal from the norms and mores of society

 Rejected notions of Western naturalism

 Uses nature as a starting point from to abstract figures and symbols

 Stressed linear patterns and color harmonies

 Tried to include a profound sense of mystery

BOTH strength and intensity over the slick and superficial

Post-Impressionism Gauguin, The Vision after the Sermon After hearing an impassioned sermon on the Biblical account of Jacob wrestling with the angel, the pious rural people envision the struggle Tree trunk separates the real from the vision Red heat of sermon matches red coloring Color used as an emotional response not as a physical description Rejection of perspective Priest at lower right is a self-portrait Heavily enclosed forms Renounced Impressionism Many sharply drawn black outlines Broad areas of color, relatively flatly applied, containing some subtly that gives it a rich glow

Gauguin, The Vision after the Sermon

After hearing an impassioned sermon on the Biblical account of Jacob wrestling with the angel, the pious rural people envision the struggle

Tree trunk separates the real from the vision

Red heat of sermon matches red coloring

Color used as an emotional response not as a physical description

Rejection of perspective

Priest at lower right is a self-portrait

Heavily enclosed forms

Renounced Impressionism

Many sharply drawn black outlines

Broad areas of color, relatively flatly applied, containing some subtly that gives it a rich glow

1888

Where Do We Come From? What Are We? Where Are We Going? 1897

Post Impressionism Seurat, La Grande Jatte Analyzed color relationships in a pictorial space Small brush strokes of complementary color: reds and greens, violets and yellows, blues and oranges Pointillist technique Result is sort of a mosaic like quality with a geometric structure Accent on the loneliness of modern life, figures together yet in isolation Most are faceless Conventional perspective used Reduced intensity of color to give effect of distance Interest in geometric shapes An Egyptian stillness: figures are posed to run but become frozen statues

Seurat, La Grande Jatte

Analyzed color relationships in a pictorial space

Small brush strokes of complementary color: reds and greens, violets and yellows, blues and oranges

Pointillist technique

Result is sort of a mosaic like quality with a geometric structure

Accent on the loneliness of modern life, figures together yet in isolation

Most are faceless

Conventional perspective used

Reduced intensity of color to give effect of distance

Interest in geometric shapes

An Egyptian stillness: figures are posed to run but become frozen statues

Paul Cezanne (1839 – 1906) The “Father of Modern Art” – an artist’s artist Obsessed with form over content Development of planes to comprise the surface Forunner of Cubism

The “Father of Modern Art” – an artist’s artist

Obsessed with form over content

Development of planes to comprise the surface

Forunner of Cubism

Post Impressionism Cezanne, Mont Sainte-Victoire Broad splashes of color in suggestive rather than descriptive passages Areas of the canvas left unpainted No human figures Not a countryside of Impressionism, lacking in human contact Aim is to create a unity within the picture in which each element has a clearly defined role and a relationship to the elements around it Solidity achieved through massing of shapes Grand and monumental form of the mountain Worked in color patches

Cezanne, Mont Sainte-Victoire

Broad splashes of color in suggestive rather than descriptive passages

Areas of the canvas left unpainted

No human figures

Not a countryside of Impressionism, lacking in human contact

Aim is to create a unity within the picture in which each element has a clearly defined role and a relationship to the elements around it

Solidity achieved through massing of shapes

Grand and monumental form of the mountain

Worked in color patches

1902-06

1889 Cezanne, The Basket of Apples Each form round and solid Sought to represent each shape as if it were a geometric principle Geometric forms determine shapes of apples, bottle, biscuits Studied forms in volumes and solids Breaking down of objects into its basic shapes

Cezanne, The Basket of Apples

Each form round and solid

Sought to represent each shape as if it were a geometric principle

Geometric forms determine shapes of apples, bottle, biscuits

Studied forms in volumes and solids

Breaking down of objects into its basic shapes

The Symbolists Rousseau, The Sleeping Gypsy Displays the characteristics of primitive artists: flat surfaces, minute detail, stiff and frontally posed figures and arbitrary proportions Influence of Japanese prints and Persian manuscripts Frame inscription: “The feline, though ferocious, is loathe to leap upon its prey, who, overcome by fatigue, lies in a deep sleep” Vase for drinking water in the desert Play of light on the lion Lion is not ferocious, but curious, a cat with its tail up Where is gypsy’s left hand? Hair of gypsy forms a pattern with the dress Cut out moon and landscape What is the lion doing in the desert? Is the lion the gypsy’s dream?

Rousseau, The Sleeping Gypsy

Displays the characteristics of primitive artists: flat surfaces, minute detail, stiff and frontally posed figures and arbitrary proportions

Influence of Japanese prints and Persian manuscripts

Frame inscription: “The feline, though ferocious, is loathe to leap upon its prey, who, overcome by fatigue, lies in a deep sleep”

Vase for drinking water in the desert

Play of light on the lion

Lion is not ferocious, but curious, a cat with its tail up

Where is gypsy’s left hand?

Hair of gypsy forms a pattern with the dress

Cut out moon and landscape

What is the lion doing in the desert?

Is the lion the gypsy’s dream?

1897

The Symbolists Munch, The Scream Lengthy brushstrokes Linear pattern of diagonal movement Straight and curving patterns Exaggerated perspective Figure twists like a worm Unnerving impression on viewer Scream echoed in the composition Sexless emasculating figure Final painting on a series about love Represents a closing scene in a battle between the mind and sex, out of which sex comes through triumphant

Munch, The Scream

Lengthy brushstrokes

Linear pattern of diagonal movement

Straight and curving patterns

Exaggerated perspective

Figure twists like a worm

Unnerving impression on viewer

Scream echoed in the composition

Sexless emasculating figure

Final painting on a series about love

Represents a closing scene in a battle between the mind and sex, out of which sex comes through triumphant

1893