Wiki90: 90s Style Encyclopedia on the Web
In today's world, Synthetism is a topic of increasing importance that has captured the attention of people of all ages and professions. Since its emergence, Synthetism has sparked passionate debates and generated a constant flow of studies and research. Over time, it has become a central element in the daily lives of many people, influencing the way they think, act and relate to the world around them. In this article, we will explore the different facets of Synthetism and its impact on contemporary society, offering a broad and detailed vision that allows us to understand its true importance.
Synthetism is a term used by post-Impressionist artists like Paul Gauguin, Émile Bernard and Louis Anquetin to distinguish their work from Impressionism. Earlier, Synthetism has been connected to the term Cloisonnism, and later to Symbolism. The term is derived from the French verb synthétiser (to synthesize or to combine so as to form a new, complex product).
Paul Gauguin, Émile Bernard, Louis Anquetin, and others pioneered the style during the late 1880s and early 1890s.
Synthetist artists aimed to synthesize three features:
In 1890, Maurice Denis summarized the goals for synthetism as,
The term was first used in 1877 to distinguish between scientific and naturalistic impressionism, and in 1889 when Gauguin and Emile Schuffenecker organized an Exposition de peintures du groupe impressioniste et synthétiste in the Café Volpini at the Exposition Universelle in Paris. The confusing title has been mistakenly associated with impressionism. Synthetism emphasized two-dimensional flat patterns, thus differing from impressionist art and theory.