Post-Impressionism
(starts 1880s)
   The years between 1880 and the outbreak of WW II testified to a fruitfulness of different styles and artistic movements in Western Europe. These various tendencies, often consciously at odds with one another, are traditionally grouped under a common label, modernism.
   Post-Impressionism is a French art movement in early Modernism, also known as Synthetism. It is almost absurd to call it Post-Impressionism for two reasons: because it diverged so strongly away from its predecessors - Impressionists, with all the admiration and due respect paid, and because "Post-Impressionism" started in early '80s while impressionism was still gaining speed. One could argue it hardly is a movement, keeping in one's mind all the diversity and brightness of artistic individuality it embraced. Struggle to regain solidity of color and form unites it more than anything, that's where the Synthetism as a name comes in. These artists showed a greater concern for expression, structure and form than did the Impressionist artists.
   Timeline is roughly end of 19th century. It introduced components that would have significant and lasting impact on modern art overall - primitivism and folklore notes with elements of mysticism. Light is as strong and as present as impressionist, but focused, not dispersed or broken into base colors. Palette of colors is purified and intensified.

Les Nabis (1891-1899)
   Group of Parisian Post-Impressionists and illustrators. They became forceful in the graphic art. Their special attention on design made them the counterpart of Art Nouveau. Both groups also were strongly influenced by the Symbolists.