Summary
Highlights
The transition from Impressionism to Post-Impressionism is introduced, using Toulouse-Lautrec's 'At the Moulin Rouge' (1892) as a starting point. While the painting shares Impressionistic elements like modern Parisian life as subject matter and sketchy brushwork, it deviates by portraying the 'seedy underbelly' of nightlife, reflecting a critique rather than a romanticized view. The unsettling composition and use of complementary colors, particularly the green hue on the woman's face, contribute to this uneasy feeling, moving away from typical Impressionist serenity.
Post-Impressionism emphasizes the artist's subjective experience and how they perceive the world. Toulouse-Lautrec's personal history, being born with physical infirmities due to his parents being first cousins, led him to live on the fringes of society. His art, therefore, reflects his intensely personal view of the Parisian nightlife he frequented, including entertainers and prostitutes, offering an intimate and subjective perspective that characterizes Post-Impressionism.
James McNeil Whistler's 'Nocturne in Black and Gold: The Falling Rocket' (1875) also demonstrates this shift. Although it features Impressionistic elements like contemporary subject matter (fireworks over the Thames) and optical color with sketchy brushwork, Whistler infused his personal interest in music into his art. He titled his works after musical compositions, such as 'Nocturne' and 'Harmony,' believing that painting, like music, involves selecting and arranging elements to create a harmonious composition.
Whistler's 'Nocturne' is named after a musical piece inspired by the night, aiming to evoke a calming and soothing sensation. The painting's extreme sketchiness, bordering on non-representational, initially appears chaotic but aims to create 'glorious harmony' upon closer inspection, similar to how the ear makes sense of musical chords. However, this innovative approach was met with harsh criticism, notably from John Ruskin, who accused Whistler of 'flinging a pot of paint in the Public's face.' Despite winning a libel suit against Ruskin, Whistler received only a nominal award and incurred significant court costs, leading to his bankruptcy. His work exemplifies how Post-Impressionism incorporates strong personal influence and pushes Impressionist tendencies further into a new artistic vision.