Moving Movements, History of Modern Painting, 1890 - 1900

Swiat Wyspianskiego, Polonia-projekt witraza do Katedry we Lwowie, 1893 - '94

Triumph of symbolism

Symbolism is one of those unfortunate names for a collection of personal diversity. The many definitions given to it recalls the many differences. One critic will classify a certain painter as a symbolist, another critic will not. In the art books we can find Munch classified with Neo-Impressionism, symbolism, Art Nouveau or forerunner of expressionism, while he also looks as a Nabi. Symbolist painters can work in very different techniques and styles. Furthermore some painters made symbolist between other works.
The name symbolism means that the painting has more content then viewed on the first moment. It depicts a reality behind the reality. It does not mean that the artist has depicted symbols, as for example in the old Flemish gothic where the paintings are really full of symbols: each flower, each fruit or object, they are all symbols, mostly to some virtue. Gauguin for example added sometimes symbols, as his red fox as symbol for his sexual drift. But that's not what makes a work of him symbolism. Symbolism here means that every reality contains another reality in it, which cannot be defined. In other words: each reality is part of a much bigger reality. Their paintings have another dimension in surplus, a depth.
Many symbolist paintings have a mysterious atmosphere. For example the landscapes of De Gouves de Nuncques or the interiors of Mellery contain no symbols, but they do have that mystery we did found earlier with David Caspar Friedrich. Another example are the lighted windows seen outside, as in "The pink House" of De Gouves or "Home" of L. Welden Hawkins. (Click on the thumbs in the right colon.)
Symbolism is more a designation of subject or mood and so its paintings can be made in several kinds of techniques: Khnopff painted photographically precise, somewhat more lucid, le Sidaner painted his mysterious moods in an impressionist technique, Mašek used pointillism for his prophet, Gauguin and Randon had their Nabi style...

Jean Delville, The God-man, ca. 1901 - '03

Odilon Redon, Goblet of Being, 1894

Georges de Feure, Hypocrisy, 1893

Edouard Vuillard, After the Meal, ca. 1900

Outside symbolism

Monet, Renoir, Morisot and Sisley continued their own specific style, also Seurat and Signac. Cross made use of bigger, sometimes smaller spots and special colours, closer to Fauvism. Toulouse-Lautrec had his own specific style, a bit familiar to Degas. A rain of colours sometimes runs through his quick thin lines, for example in "The Bed" from 1892.
There where different opinions how to classify these painters in the invented "isms": the critic Geoffroy classified Redon as a Nabi, together with Bernard, Denis, Filiger en Serusier. Denis himself distinguished two different branches in Nabism: he did put Redon together with Vuillard, Bonnard and Vallotton, himself in the other branch, with Ranson en Serusier. Vuillard and Bonnard are often far from the style of Gauguin in separated areas, they express themselves in a very loose, quick way of painting, the figures have minimal contours, in loud, intermixing colours.

Bonnard painted Art-Nouveau style in 1892, in rather dull and blurry colour areas, contoured and filled with colour stripes or flat patterns. Denis made "Les muses" in 1893, the trees in the park look as growing out of a carpet, the style of this reminds stained glass windows (see right colon). Gauguin was also influenced by the often very expressive art of Africa, the Indians or Oceania, especially in his sculptures and bas-reliefs.

In Nord-America Hassam, Tarbell, Hale, Robinson and Metcalf painted very beautiful impressionism. In Great-Britain Clausen and Guthrie made wonderful works. In Australia Mc Cubbin, Conder, Streeton and Roberts formed the Heidelberg group. They worked in a very beautiful, fresh and vivid style, without being too colourful. In that way their oils are somewhat aquarelle-like.

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, The Bed, ca. 1892

Jacek Malczewski, Harpia we snie, Chwilla Tworzenia, 1907

Wojcieh Weiss, Wiosna, 1898

Wojtkiech Weiss is not surpassed by Malczewsky. Both in his lines and choice of colour he works expressionistic. His "Sunset" (1899-1902) looks as painted by Munch. His "Nude Boy in Flower Field" (1898), is more precise, full of movement and expression.
Also Hungary had several symbolist painters, such as Vaszary János, Sándor Nagy, Simon Hollósy. Most known is Rippl-Roney who worked in very different ways. "Woman in Bed" (1891) looks close to the Nabis, "Young Paris Charlady" and "Between Hollyhocks" (1895) look more as the future German expressionists, in large brush strokes, "My parents", 1897, resembles Gauguin, and so on...

In Austria Gustav Klimt got his typical style around 1895. He sometimes used pointillism for his landscapes. His flower gardens resemble more Manet, the multicoloured flowers are a mosaic on itself. In clothing he used the technique of several thin colour spots. He also used other techniques for decor and background, for example with a rough brush, or monochrome gold. Areas are filled up with decorations: circles, triangles, chess board... The patterns are seen frontally, as a collage. The faces are precisely worked out and have a resemblance with Japanese art. In 1897 Klimt founded the Secession, holding expositions with also foreign symbolists: Böcklin, Carrière, Mucha, Chavannes, Khnopff, Meunier, Rodin and Klinger.
Klinger is a German symbolist who made wonderful works, sometimes quite theatrical. He sculptured the frames according to the figures on the canvas. Also Moser did make impressive and original work.