Impressionists defied tradition by painting en plain air (outdoors) in quick unstudied brushstrokes, by capturing unimportant moments from daily life, by painting the world the way they saw it – their impressions of it – using unrealistic colors and little shadowing. Post-Impressionists carried further the Impressionist liberation of expression. Yet, the definition of the timeframe of the “movement” was a bigger problem. Fry determined that Post-Impressionism lasted from 1880 to 1905. Still, another art critic, American John Rewald, argued that it had begun later, in 1886, with the eighth and last exhibition of the Impressionists, and lasted until 1892 (the beginning of Munch’s Expressionism). As you see, it’s difficult to pinpoint the movement and categorize its timing and style. Thus, Post-Impressionism is an epitome of diversity, experimentation, symbolism, and emotional introspection.If you’re here, most possibly you have already completed our Basic Course on Impressionism, or even the Mega Course, which both provide the best background info you will need to begin this course. However, if you haven’t done these courses, fear not because there are no prerequisites to start learning about the Post-Impressionists. And we hope that after having completed this one, you’ll decide to keep learning and you will pick another course.

Since this is an introductory course, we will focus on the most famous representatives of the movement (Post-Impressionism is not a single style, as you will see in the following pages), and hence we will remain in France (taking several short trips to Tahiti). Yet, I’d like to emphasize that Post-Impressionism has traveled beyond the French borders and there are many more artists of different nationalities whose works could be categorized as Post-Impressionist. Soon after this course, you’ll be able to distinguish among them and impress others with your confident “this painter has definitely had to do something with Post-Impressionism.”

As in previous courses, each chapter will be dedicated to a different style or an artist, featuring the facts and masterpieces that everyone should know. Let’s begin!