syntheticism

Syntheticism is an art movement that emerged in Brittany, France, during the late 19th century. It was a reaction against the Impressionist focus on naturalistic representation and the detailed rendering of light and color. Instead, syntheticists sought to synthesize or combine visual elements with the artist's thoughts and feelings, emphasizing the flatness of the canvas and the use of bold outlines and simplified, solid areas of color.

Key figures associated with syntheticism include Paul Gauguin, Émile Bernard, and Louis Anquetin. Gauguin, in particular, was a major proponent, advocating for art that was not merely an imitation of nature but a creation of the artist's mind. The movement drew inspiration from various sources, including Japanese prints (ukiyo-e), medieval stained glass, and folk art, all of which featured stylized forms and decorative qualities.

The stylistic hallmarks of syntheticism include the abandonment of traditional perspective and modeling in favor of flat planes of color. Forms were often outlined with dark, emphatic contours, a technique known as cloisonnism, which resembled the leading in stained glass. The subject matter could range from religious or mythological themes to everyday scenes, but they were always rendered with a subjective and expressive interpretation rather than a strictly objective one. Syntheticism had a significant influence on subsequent art movements, including Symbolism and Fauvism, and its emphasis on subjective experience and formal simplification paved the way for later modernist explorations.