sintetizm

Sintetizm, also known as synthétisme in French, is a term used in art history to describe a Post-Impressionist painting approach that arose in the late 1880s among Paul Gauguin and his Pont-Aven circle in Brittany, France. It is characterized by an attempt to express meaning and emotion through color and form rather than through faithful optical representation.

Key features include the use of flat, unmodulated planes of color, simplified and stylized forms, and strong outlines that separate color fields, yielding a effect reminiscent of stained glass. The colors are often non-naturalistic and symbolic rather than strictly descriptive. Compositional space tends to be flattened, with an emphasis on decorative harmony and spiritual or symbolic content rather than purely realistic depiction. Sintetizm also draws on Cloisonnism and influences from Japanese prints, which helped shape its emphasis on bold outlines and color contrasts.

Origins and development occurred primarily at the Pont-Aven school in Brittany, where Gauguin and his collaborators—Emile Bernard, Louis Anquetin, and Paul Sérusier among others—pursued a synthesis of Impressionist color with Symbolist ideas. The movement sought to go beyond mere observation to convey mood, mythic or exotic subjects, and personal vision.

Legacy and influence: Sintetizm helped pave the way for later developments in modern painting, contributing to the evolution of Fauvism and influencing various strands of Expressionism. The term and its precise boundaries remain debated among critics, with some scholars distinguishing Sintetizm from related trends like Cloisonnism or other Post-Impressionist approaches.

See also: Pont-Aven School, Cloisonnism, Post-Impressionism.