Van Gogh & the Avant-Garde: The Modern Landscape

This summer’s exhibit at the Art Institute Chicago brought together 5 artists, Vincent van Gogh, Georges Seurat, Paul Signac, Emile Bernard, and Charles Angrand who painted for a period from 1882-1890 in the smaller villages outside Paris. They were painting in styles called Divisionism (contrasting colors in unblended strokes), Pointillism (small dots of complimentary colors), and Cloisonnism (bold color areas defined by dark contours). I was especially interested in the paintings by Emile Bernard, an artist I was not familiar with. I personally am not a painter that dabs bits of color, but prefer the larger swaths of color. I can learn something new with every visit.