Synthetism
Synthetism, the aesthetic style advocated by Gauguin, attempted to create a synthesis between the perception of nature and abstract forms.
Using the physical world as a starting point, the artists of Pont-Aven interpreted their surroundings in a decorative style evoking a specific mood or experience.
Synthetist prints are characterized by the use of bold colours, rhythmic lines, and simplified, two-dimensional forms.
Emile Bernard, Breton Women in an Orchard, 1893
Paul Gauguin, Joys of Brittany (Joies de Bretagne) from the series Volpini, 1889
The Volpini Suite
Gauguin’s first serious attempt at printmaking resulted in the production of the Volpini Suite, a series of ten zincographs inspired by his time in Brittany, Arles, and Martinique. The print series takes its name from the exhibition at the Café Volpini where it was first shown in 1889 on the grounds of the World Exhibition.
Printed on large sheets of luminous canary yellow paper, the contrast of the rich black and brown inks to the coloured ground creates a unique optical effect.
Though the series was a financial failure, it encouraged younger artists, such as the Nabis, to explore printmaking as a creative medium.
Further reading
- Caroline Boyle-Turner, The Prints of the Pont-Aven School: Gauguin and his Circle in Brittany, Lausanne 1986
- Catherine Puget, Gauguin et l'École de Pont-Aven, Paris 1997
- Dennis Delouche, Les Peintres de la Bretagne, Quimper 2012