Symbolism was an art movement that began in 1885 and reigned through to 1910. The Symbolist movement was a reaction against the literal representation of objects and subjects, where instead there was an attempt to create more suggestive, metaphorical and evocative works. Symbolic artists based their ideas on literature, where poets such as Baudelaire believed that ideas and emotions could be portrayed through sound and rhythm and not just through the meaning of words.
Symbolist painter styles varied greatly but common themes included the mystical and the visionary. Symbolists also explored themes of death, debauchery, perversion and eroticism. Symbolism moved away from the naturalism of the impressionists and demonstrated a preference for emotions over intellect. The Symbolist period contributed much to the development of the abstract arts of the 20th century, and is a crucial step in understanding consecutive periods. Famous Symbolist artists include Gustave Moreau, Odilon Redon and Gustav Klimt.
Gustave Moreau
Gustave Moreau was born in 1826 and was one of the most recognized Symbolist artists of his time. He studied under Chasseriau and was greatly influenced by the masters of the Romantic movement. Gustave Moreau appreciated the bizarre and random, but went past that to create a highly distinctive personal style. Gustave Moreau preferred mystically intense images that realted to ancient and unknown civilizations. Mythological figures were of great interest to Gustave Moreau and his paint almost paid hommage to these figures with it's jewel-like texture.
Much of Gustave Moreau's life was spent in seclusion but he did become a professor at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in 1892. He was an inspirational teacher who was able to bring out the individual talent of his students rather than set the guidelines for their personal expression. Gustave Moreau's pupils included Henri Matisse, Marquet, and his favorite Rouault. Most of Gustave Moreau's works are preserved at his home, now the Moreau Museum. Gustave Moreau died in 1898.
