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synthetism

(1889)

Term used by the Pont Aven artists (in particular, EMILE BERNARD (1868-1941)) for their exhibition at the Exposition Universelle of 1889; and by the Groupe Synthe'tiste, formed in 1891, which included French painter Paul Gauguin (1848-1903) among its members.

The term refers to an emphasis on the simplification of drawing and pattern, and the expressive purity of colors in contrast to the scientific developments of neo-impressionism.

Source:
H R Rookmaker, Synthetist Art Theories (Amsterdam, 1959)