Artists broke from tradition to explore abstraction, emotion, and experimentation, responding to industrialization, revolution, and modern life.

Post Impressionism

c. 1886–1905

Post-Impressionist artists sought deeper expression and structure. Color and form were used symbolically. Individual styles varied widely. The movement paved the way for modern art.

Bathers

Paul Cezanne

1905–1906

Solid, sculptural nudes set in nature, balancing structure and sensation.

Women at the Well

Paul Signac

1892

Bright, mosaic-like color patches depict everyday life by the sea.

Self-Portrait

Vincent Van Gogh

1889

Intense brushwork and color show the artist’s searching gaze and restless mind.

At the Moulin Rouge: The Dance

Henri De Toulouse Lautrec

1890

Bright posters and dancers whirl through Montmartre nightlife in bold outlines.

A Sunday on La Grande Jatte

Georges Pierre Seurat

1884–1886

Pointillist dots build a calm Paris park scene shimmering with light.

Models

Georges Pierre Seurat

1888

Studio figures rendered in delicate dots, studying light and surface.

Cafe Terrace at Night

Vincent Van Gogh

1888

A glowing café under a starry sky, painted with thick, vibrant strokes.

The Montagne Sainte-Victoire with Large Pine

Paul Cezanne

c. 1887

Interlocking planes of mountain and tree anticipate modern abstraction.

Portrait of Alice Sethe

Theo Van Rysselberghe

1888

A luminous Neo-Impressionist portrait built from tiny, vibrating touches.

Tropical Landscape, Martinique

Paul Gauguin

1887

A lush, saturated view of tropical foliage pointing to his search for the “primitive.”