2. Gustave Moreau Odilon Redon Paul Gauguin
Symbolist Symbolist Synthetist
3. Symbolism and Synthesism are two similar art forms, which were
created toward the end of the 19th century.
Artists wanted to reject Realism and Impressionism, art forms
of the mid 19th century, during which artists painted what they saw
in its natural form.
Both Symbolists and Synthetists believed that art should reflect
an emotion or idea.
4. During the 19th century (1801–1900) many different empires collapsed
(French, Spanish, Chinese)
The British Empire became the world's leading power, controlling one
quarter of the world's population.
There was a scientific and spiritual evolution. The century was filled
with discovery, developments in mathematics, science and
technology.
There were Advances in medicine and Europe's population doubled
from about 200 million to more than 400 million.
The Second Industrial Revolution, occurred in Europe and improved
the standard of living.
5. Symbolist Artist
Gustave Moreau
• Gustave Moreau was born in
Paris, France. He was one of the leading
Symbolist artists.
• His paintings showed biblical and
mythological subjects.
• He used rich oriental colours.
(6 April 1826 – 18 April 1898)
6. Jupiter et Semele (1894-95)
• The painting represents physical love
between a mortal and a god, showing the
“overpowering experience that consumes
Semele as the god appears in his supreme
beauty”
• Gustave uses vivid colours with dark
shadows to emphasize certain areas.
• He uses symbols to represent death
(a woman holing a white lily), sorrow
(a person holding a bloody sword),
and earth (the “Great Pan”).
7. Symbolist Artist
Odilon Redon
• Odilon Redon was a French Symbolist
painter and printmaker.
• During the 1890s he started painting.
• During his early life he was unhappy, but
after undergoing a religious crisis in the early
1890s and a serious illness in 1894-95, he
changed into a much more joyful and
cheerful person, expressing himself by using
bright colors in mythological scenes and
flower paintings, oils and pastel.
( 1840 – 1916)
8. Guardian Spirit of the Waters (1878)
• In this artwork we see a huge head over the
sea looking down on a tiny boat. The head
is symbolic of the divine presence of
God, watching over us.
• The sky and sea are symbolic of the
vastness of the universe and the tiny boat
symbolic of human fragility. The picture
combines spirituality and reality. The eye is
also symbolic of our subconscious mind .
• Redon used charcoals, black
chalk, stumping, erasing, incising, with
traces of white chalk, His lines are clear and
simple.
9. Synthetist Artist
Paul Gauguin
Gauguin was a French artist who
first introduced the word Synthetism.
Synthetism is a style of art in which the form
(colour planes and lines) is synthesized with
the major idea or feeling of the subject.
His art style had areas of pure colour (little
shaded areas ), strong lines, and an almost
two-dimensional arrangement of parts.
(1848–1903)
10. Vision after the Sermon (1888)
• In this painting the artist aimed
to create an emotional & spiritual
experience.
• It depicts a scene from The Bible,
of a biblical figure, Jacob
wrestling an Angel.
• Gauguin combined outlined,
simple shapes with solid patches
of vivid color to symbolize the
devout holiness of simple women.
11. I learned that simple artwork can be very effective.
Like Symbolists and Synthetists, I also feel that art
should convey emotions and not simply represent the
world in its natural state.
We are emotional and spiritual beings and we should
be able to convey our dreams and feelings, so that
others can share our experiences and emotions.
