Pont-Aven School (french: École de Pont-Aven, br, Skol Pont Aven) encompasses works of art influenced by the Breton town of

Pont-Aven Pont-Aven (, Breton: 'River Bridge') is a commune in the Finistère department in the Brittany region in Northwestern France. In 2019, it had a population of 2,821. Demographics Inhabitants of Pont-Aven are called ''Pontavenistes'' in French ...

and its surroundings. Originally the term applied to works created in the artists' colony at Pont-Aven, which started to emerge in the 1850s and lasted until the beginning of the 20th century. Many of the artists were inspired by the works of

Paul Gauguin Eugène Henri Paul Gauguin (, ; ; 7 June 1848 – 8 May 1903) was a French Post-Impressionist artist. Unappreciated until after his death, Gauguin is now recognized for his experimental use of colour and Synthetist style that were distinct fr ...

, who spent extended periods in the area in the late 1880s and early 1890s. Their work is frequently characterised by the bold use of pure colour and their Symbolist choice of subject matter.

Background

Pont-Aven is a

commune A commune is an alternative term for an intentional community. Commune or comună or comune or other derivations may also refer to: Administrative-territorial entities * Commune (administrative division), a municipality or township ** Communes of ...

of the

Finistère Finistère (, ; br, Penn-ar-Bed ) is a department of France in the extreme west of Brittany. In 2019, it had a population of 915,090.

département In the administrative divisions of France, the department (french: département, ) is one of the three levels of government under the national level (" territorial collectivities"), between the administrative regions and the communes. Ninety ...

'', in

Brittany Brittany (; french: link=no, Bretagne ; br, Breizh, or ; Gallo: ''Bertaèyn'' ) is a peninsula, historical country and cultural area in the west of modern France, covering the western part of what was known as Armorica during the period ...

, France, some distance inland from where the river Aven meets the Atlantic Ocean. From the 1850s painters began to frequent the village of Pont-Aven, wanting to spend their summers away from the city, on a low budget in a picturesque place not yet spoilt by tourism. Gauguin first worked in Pont-Aven in 1886. When he returned in 1888, the situation had changed: Pont-Aven was already crowded, and Gauguin looked for an alternative place to work which he found, in 1889, in Le Pouldu (today part of the community of Clohars-Carnoët), some miles off to the East at the mouth of the river

Laïta The Laïta ( br, Laeta) is a river in Brittany in northwestern France. It was the traditional border between the medieval realms or counties of Cornouaille and Gwened and now forms part of the border between the departments of Finistère and ...

, traditionally the border of the

Morbihan Morbihan ( , ; br, Mor-Bihan ) is a department in the administrative region of Brittany, situated in the northwest of France. It is named after the Morbihan (''small sea'' in Breton), the enclosed sea that is the principal feature of the coastl ...

département. There, Gauguin, accompanied by Meijer de Haan, Charles Filiger and for a while by Sérusier, spent the winter of 1889/1890 and several months afterwards.

History

The opening of the railway line from Paris to

Quimper Quimper (, ; br, Kemper ; la, Civitas Aquilonia or ) is a commune and prefecture of the Finistère department of Brittany in northwestern France. Administration Quimper is the prefecture (capital) of the Finistère department. Geography Th ...

in 1862 encouraged tourism in Brittany. The first group of artists to arrive in Pont-Aven during the summer of 1866 consisted of American art students from Philadelphia including Robert Wylie, Charles Way, Earl Shinn and

Howard Roberts Howard Mancel Roberts (October 2, 1929 – June 28, 1992) was an American jazz guitarist, educator, and session musician. Early years Roberts was born in Phoenix, Arizona to Damon and Vesta Roberts, and began playing guitar at the age of 8 - a ...

. They were soon joined by three other Americans,

Benjamin Champney Benjamin Champney (November 20, 1817Champney (1900) – December 11, 1907) was a painter known for his role in White Mountain art of the 19th century. He began his training as a lithographer under celebrated marine artist Fitz Henry Lane at ...

, Frederick Bridgeman and Moses Wright, by two English painters, Lewis and Carraway, and by two Frenchmen. Over the next 15 years, the reputation of the colony spread far and wide, attracting many other painters.

Jean-Léon Gérôme Jean-Léon Gérôme (11 May 1824 – 10 January 1904) was a French painter and sculptor in the style now known as academicism. His paintings were so widely reproduced that he was "arguably the world's most famous living artist by 1880." The ra ...

, one of the leading French Academic painters, encouraged his American students to go there, while French landscape artists such as William Bouguereau,

Louis-Nicolas Cabat Louis-Nicolas Cabat (6 December 1812, Paris – 13 March 1893, Paris) was a French landscape painter. He was one of the most illustrious students of Camille Flers. A member of the Accademia di San Luca in Rome, Cabat was elected a member of the ...

and Paul Sébillot also spent summers in the village. Among the other foreigners to visit were

Herman van den Anker Hermanus Franciscus Carolus "Herman" van den Anker (July 14, 1832 in Rotterdam – July 9, 1883 in Paris) was a Dutch artist who painted in Pont-Aven Pont-Aven (, Breton: 'River Bridge') is a commune in the Finistère department in the Bri ...

from the Netherlands, Augustus Burke from Ireland and

Paul Peel Paul Peel (7 November 1860 – 3 October 1892) was a Canadians, Canadian figure painter. Having won a medal at the 1890 Paris Salon, he became one of the first Canadian artists to receive international recognition in his lifetime. Career ...

from Canada. The English illustrator

Randolph Caldecott Randolph Caldecott (; 22 March 1846 – 12 February 1886) was a British artist and illustrator, born in Chester. The Caldecott Medal was named in his honour. He exercised his art chiefly in book illustrations. His abilities as an artist were pro ...

visited in 1880. He illustrated Henry Blackburn's ''Breton Folk: An Artistic Tour of Brittany'' (1880), one of the most popular guide-books of the time. His naive illustrations caught the imagination of the ''

avant-garde The avant-garde (; In 'advance guard' or ' vanguard', literally 'fore-guard') is a person or work that is experimental, radical, or unorthodox with respect to art, culture, or society.John Picchione, The New Avant-garde in Italy: Theoretical ...

'' visiting artists and Gauguin in particular, who is known to have imitated Caldecott's style in his drawings his first summer at Pont-Aven. Randolph Caldecott - Pont-Aven, 1881

There were three hotels ready to accommodate visitors: the Hôtel de Voyageurs, the Hôtel du Lion d'Or and the Pension Gloanec. The Pension Gloanec, where Gauguin and his circle lodged, was especially cheap. When Blackburn visited it offered ''demi-pension'', i.e. board, breakfast and evening meal with cider thrown in, for just sixty francs a month. The artists were attracted by the beauty of the surrounding countryside and the low cost of living. Many of them were looking for a new point of departure, hoping to break away from the Academic style of the

École des Beaux-Arts École des Beaux-Arts (; ) refers to a number of influential art schools in France. The term is associated with the Beaux-Arts style in architecture and city planning that thrived in France and other countries during the late nineteenth centur ...

and from

Impressionism Impressionism was a 19th-century art movement characterized by relatively small, thin, yet visible brush strokes, open composition, emphasis on accurate depiction of light in its changing qualities (often accentuating the effects of the passage ...

which was beginning to decline. Brittany opened up new horizons with its language, traditional dress, fervent Catholic belief, an oral tradition and the ubiquitous presence of granite crosses and churches. The two most innovative painters to arrive on the scene were Paul Gauguin and

Émile Bernard Émile Henri Bernard (28 April 1868 – 16 April 1941) was a French Post-Impressionist painter and writer, who had artistic friendships with Vincent van Gogh, Paul Gauguin and Eugène Boch, and at a later time, Paul Cézanne. Most of his nota ...

. Gauguin had reached in Pont-Aven in July 1886 while Bernard came later in the summer.Thomson p. 42 When the two met again two years later, they consolidated their relationship. Bernard showed Gauguin his ''Pardon à Pont-Aven'' (1888), which some believe inspired Gauguin to paint his '' Vision après le sermon'', Bernard claiming he was the first to adopt the approach, which became known as

Synthetism Synthetism is a term used by post-Impressionist artists like Paul Gauguin, Émile Bernard and Louis Anquetin to distinguish their work from Impressionism. Earlier, ''Synthetism'' has been connected to the term Cloisonnism, and later to Symbolism. ...

. Other artists who stayed with Gauguin, first at the Pension Gloanec in Pont-Aven and later at the Buvette de la Plage in Le Pouldu, were Charles Filiger, Meijer de Haan,

Charles Laval Charles Laval (17 March 1862 – 27 April 1894) was a French painter associated with the Synthetic movement and Pont-Aven School. Laval was born in Paris, and was a contemporary and friend of Paul Gauguin and Vincent van Gogh. Gauguin crea ...

Robert Bevan Robert Polhill Bevan (5 August 1865 – 8 July 1925) was a British painter, draughtsman and lithographer. He was a founding member of the Camden Town Group, the London Group, and the Cumberland Market Group. Early life He was born in Bruns ...

, Roderic O'Conor, Émile Schuffenecker, Armand Séguin and Władysław Ślewiński. After his first voyage to Tahiti in 1891, Gauguin returned to Pont-Aven for the last time in 1894, once again staying with his circle of friends at the Pension Gloanec.

Synthetism

The style developed in Pont-Aven by Gauguin and Bernard was known as Synthetism as it was designed to synthetise or combine images, producing a new result which was quite different from Impressionism. It relied on a number of principles including the abandonment of faithful representation, the creation of a work based on the artist's memory of the subject but reflecting his feelings while painting, bold application of pure colour, the absence of perspective and shading, the application of

Cloisonnism Cloisonnism is a style of post-Impressionist painting with bold and flat forms separated by dark contours. The term was coined by critic Édouard Dujardin on the occasion of the Salon des Indépendants, in March 1888. Artists Émile Bernard, Lou ...

's flat forms separated by dark contours, and geometrical composition free of any unnecessary detail and trimmings."Le Synthétisme"
, ''Musée de Pont-Aven''. Retrieved 16 May 2012.

Gallery

File:Paul Sérusier 001.jpg, Paul Sérusier, ''The Talisman, the Aven at the Bois d'Amour'' 1888 File:Émile Bernard 1888-08 - Breton Women in the Meadow (Le Pardon de Pont-Aven).jpg,

, ''Breton Women in the Meadow, (Le Pardon de Pont-Aven),'' 1888. File:Paul Gauguin 137.jpg,

, '' Vision After the Sermon (Jacob wrestling with the angel),'' (1888),

National Gallery of Scotland The Scottish National Gallery (formerly the National Gallery of Scotland) is the national art gallery of Scotland. It is located on The Mound in central Edinburgh, close to Princes Street. The building was designed in a neoclassical style by W ...

File:WLANL - artanonymous - Zelfportret (1).jpg,

, ''Self Portrait'', 1888, oil on canvas, 50 x 60 cm

Van Gogh Museum The Van Gogh Museum () is a Dutch art museum dedicated to the works of Vincent van Gogh and his contemporaries in the Museum Square in Amsterdam South, close to the Stedelijk Museum, the Rijksmuseum, and the Concertgebouw. The museum opene ...

Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the capital and most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population of 907,976 within the city proper, 1,558,755 in the urban ar ...

File:"Les Korrigans sous la lune - The dance of the elves of Pont-Aven" (Moonlit landscape with tall trees) by Roderic O'Conor, ca. 1898-1900.jpg, ''Les Korrigans sous la lune – The dance of the elves of Pont-Aven'' (Moonlit landscape with tall trees) by Roderic O'Conor, ca. 1898–1900

Artists working in Pont-Aven (or Le Pouldu)

Arranged by year of arrival: * Otto Weber (1832–1888), German, 1863 *

Henry Bacon Henry Bacon (November 28, 1866February 16, 1924) was an American Beaux-Arts architect who is best remembered for the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. (built 1915–1922), which was his final project. Education and early career Henr ...

(1839–1912), American, 1864 *

Charles Way Charles Christopher Way (born December 27, 1972) is a former professional American football fullback in the National Football League for five seasons for the New York Giants. Early life Way was born in 1972 to Jacqueline and Cleveland Way. he ...

, American, 1864 * Robert Wylie (1839–1877), American, 1864 until death * Frederick Bridgman, American, (1847–1928), 1866 *

(1817–1907), American, 1866 * Earl Shinn (1838–1886), American, 1866 *

, (1843–1900), American, c. 1866 *

, (1832–1883), Dutch, 1868 * William Bouguereau, (1825–1893), French, 1868 * Louis Cabat, (1812–1893), French, c. 1868 * Milne Ramsey, (1847–1915), American, 1870 *

Clement Nye Swift Clement Nye Swift (1846 – March 29, 1918) was an American artist associated with the Pont-Aven School and known for his paintings of nautical themes and of life in Brittany and Massachusetts. Biography Swift was born in 1846 in Acushnet, ...

, (1846–1918), American, 1870 * Paul Sébillot, (1843–1918), French, 1873 * Julian Alden Weir, American, (1852–1919), 1874 * Augustus Burke, (1838–1891), Irish, 1875 *

William Lamb Picknell William Lamb Picknell (October 23, 1853 – August 8, 1897) was an American painter of landscapes, coastal views, and figure genres, known for his rapid painting style. He was born in Hinesburg, Vermont and died in Marblehead, Massachusetts. Li ...

, (1853–1897), American, 1876 * Alexandre Defaux, (1826–1900), French, 1876 * Thomas Hovenden, (1840–1895), Irish-American, 1876 * Frank C. Penfold, (1849–1921), American, 1877 until death *

Henry Mosler Henry Mosler (June 6, 1841 – April 21, 1920) was a German-born painter who documented American life, including colonial themes, Civil War illustrations, and portraits of men and women of society. Early life He was born in Tropplowitz, Siles ...

, (1841–1920), American, 1879 * Thomas Alexander Harrison, (1853–1930), American, 1880 *

, (1860–1892), Canadian, 1881 * Henry Rodman Kenyon, (1861–1926), American, 1885, 1886 and 1888 *

Arthur Wesley Dow Arthur Wesley Dow (1857 – December 13, 1922) was an American painter, printmaker, photographer and an arts educator. Early life Arthur Wesley Dow was born in Ipswich, Massachusetts, in 1857. Dow received his first art training in 1880 from An ...

, (1857–1922), American, 1885 *

(1848–1903), French, 1886, 1888, 1889–1890 and 1894 *

(1868–1941), French, 1886, 1888 and 1891–1893 *

Hubert Vos Hubert Vos (February 15, 1855 – January 8, 1935) was a Dutch painter who was born Josephus Hubertus Vos in Maastricht. He studied at the Académie Royale des Beaux-Arts in Brussels and with Fernand Cormon in Paris. He exhibited widely in Pa ...

(1855–1935), Dutch, 1886 *

(1862–1894), French, 1886 * Emile Schuffenecker (1851–1934), French, 1886 *

Ferdinand du Puigaudeau Ferdinand du Puigaudeau was a French painter. He was born in Nantes on 4 April 1864 and died in Le Croisic, Croisic on 19 September 1930. Biography As a young boy, du Puigaudeau was close to his uncle Henri de Chateaubriant, who encouraged his ar ...

(1864–1930), French, 1886 * Ernest de Chamaillard (1862–1930), French, 1888 * Meijer de Haan (1852–1895), Dutch, 1888 * Władysław Ślewiński (1854–1918), Polish, 1889 * Paul Sérusier (1864–1927), French, 1888, 1889 (and 1889, 1890) * Armand Séguin (1869–1903), French, 1891–1893 * Charles Filiger (1863–1928), French, from 1888 * Jan Verkade (1868–1946), Dutch, 1891, 1892 *

Mogens Ballin Mogens Ballin (20 March 1871, Copenhagen – 27 January 1914, Hellerup) was a Danish artist, one of a group of painters who gathered in the Breton village of Pont-Aven School, Pont-Aven. He later became a notable silversmith designing jewelry and ...

(1871–1914), Danish, 1891, 1892 * Henry Moret (1856–1913), French, from 1888 * Ernest Ponthier de Chamaillard (1862–1930), French, from 1888 * Gustave Loiseau (1865–1935), French, 1890 * Émile Jourdan (1860–1931), French, from 1888 *

Jens Ferdinand Willumsen Jens Ferdinand Willumsen (7 September 1863 – 4 April 1958) was a Danish painter, sculptor, graphic artist, architect and photographer. He became associated with the movements of Symbolism and Expressionism. Biography J. F. Willumsen was bor ...

(1863–1958), Danish, 1890 * Roderic O'Conor (1860–1940), Irish, 1892 *

Maurice Denis Maurice Denis (; 25 November 1870 – 13 November 1943) was a French painter, decorative artist, and writer. An important figure in the transitional period between impressionism and modern art, he is associated with ''Les Nabis'', symbolism, a ...

(1870–1943), French * (1867–1949), French *

Robert Polhill Bevan Robert Polhill Bevan (5 August 1865 – 8 July 1925) was a British painter, draughtsman and lithographer. He was a founding member of the Camden Town Group, the London Group, and the Cumberland Market Group. Early life He was born in Bruns ...

, English, 1890, 1891, 1892, 1893 and 1894 *

Cuno Amiet Cuno Amiet (28 March 1868 – 6 July 1961) was a Swiss painter, illustrator, graphic artist and sculptor. As the first Swiss painter to give precedence to colour in composition, he was a pioneer of modern art in Switzerland. Biography Amiet was ...

(1868–1961), Swiss, 1892 * Fredrich E. Wallace

References

Sources

* Bevan, Robert. ''Robert Bevan 1865–1925. A memoir by his son'', Studio Vista, London 1965. * * Cariou, André: ''Les Peintres de Pont-Aven'', Éditions Ouest-France, Rennes 1994 * Jaworska, Wladyslawa: ''Gauguin et l'Ecole de Pont-Aven'', Ides et Calendes, Neuchâtel 1971 (no ISBN); English edition: ''Gauguin and the Pont-Aven School'', Thames and Hudson, London 1972 ; American edition: New York Graphic Society, Greenwich Connecticut 1972 * Mathews, Nancy Mowll (2001). ''Paul Gauguin, an Erotic Life''. New Haven, Connecticut:

Yale University Press Yale University Press is the university press of Yale University. It was founded in 1908 by George Parmly Day, and became an official department of Yale University in 1961, but it remains financially and operationally autonomous. , Yale Universi ...

, . * Thomson, Belinda (1987). ''Gauguin''. London:

Thames and Hudson Thames & Hudson (sometimes T&H for brevity) is a publisher of illustrated books in all visually creative categories: art, architecture, design, photography, fashion, film, and the performing arts. It also publishes books on archaeology, history, ...

. . {{DEFAULTSORT:Pont-Aven School Breton art Finistère French art movements French artist groups and collectives Post-Impressionism .