Post-Impressionism

A survey of the two decades between the mid-1880s and 1905

The term "Post-Impressionism" was coined in 1910 by Roger Fry, an English art critic who was trying to find an expression that could describe the paintings of Van Gogh, Cézanne, and Gauguin, as well as Seurat, Sérusier, Denis, or Redon.

Organised by the musée d'Orsay at the Louvre Abu Dhabi, the Post-Impressionism exhibition focuses on the two dynamic decades between the mid-1880s and the mid-1900s. This period spans from the last collective exhibition of the Impressionists in 1886 to the Autumn Salon of 1905, marked by the "Fauves" scandal involving Derain, Matisse, and Vlaminck with their explosive colours.

The catalogue demonstrates the full range of pictorial reactions to Impressionism with masterpieces from the musée d'Orsay, emphasising the richness and complexity of the Post-Impressionist constellation.

Taking a monographic or a group approach, the book seeks to highlight the intrinsic qualities of each painter's work and the interactions between these artists who are part of the Impressionist legacy, inspiring avant-garde artists like Braque and Picasso.

This catalogue, rich in images and essays, delves into the art of this fascinating and pivotal double decade, during which visual expression gradually moved away from the representation of reality towards the expression of the psychic, emotional, and spiritual worlds of the artists.