Post-Impressionists: Van Gogh, Gauguin and Toulouse-Lautrec

The Post-Impressionists started out as Impressionists but became dissatisfied with their focus on concrete, tangible subjects. Vincent Van Gogh, Paul Gauguin and Toulouse-Lautrec continued to depict contemporary themes, and to use pure color. But they felt they needed to explore new horizons, to create a more serious art, to deal with the essentials of life. They each developed in individual directions—Post-Impressionism is more a time period than a school of painting. These three artists had a profound influence on the following generation of artists.