Post-Impressionists

The term 'Post-Impressionists' was coined in 1910 to describe the work of the French painters of the 1880s and 1890s, principally Cézanne, Gauguin and Van Gogh, but it has never been a satisfactory label. In this lively survey and reappraisal of the era many minor as well as major artists are discussed and illustrated. By concentrating on what the artists and contemporary critics did and said, and by looking at what the artists painted, the author raises very sharply the question of what 'Post-Impressionism' means and reveals a fascinating glimpse of personal rivalry, commercial pressures, individual initiatives and changing allegiances - and no simple pattern at all.