Gauguin and Primitivism - Option #1

            Gauguin’s painting The Yellow Christ can be considered avant-garde for several reasons. On can see that Griselda Pollock’s formula of reference, deference, and difference can be applied to this painting. Through The Yellow Christ Gauguin shows an awareness of what’s going on in the art world, gives reverence and respect to Impressionism, and shows his advancement in aesthetics by making The Yellow Christ a very modern and avant-garde piece.

            When looking at The Yellow Christ one can see that Gauguin is showing reference to what’s going on in the art world in terms of artistic traditions and conventions through the subject matter. First of all we are seeing that this is a landscape painting. Landscapes and outdoor scenes were common among the impressionists, however Gauguin represents his landscape in a much more avant-garde way. The hills, trees, houses, and road in the background are all extremely abstracted. Gauguin has reduced the landscape to shapes. In the foreground we can see that Christ on the cross is the focal point. Christ being depicted is a reference as well even further back than impressionism. Christ was often depicted in the artwork of the academy, in a much different way however. In this painting Gauguin has again simplified the body of Christ and doesn’t show much detail.

            In The Yellow Christ we can also see Gauguin’s use of deference. He gives reverence to impressionism especially in terms of technique. Gauguin shows interest in light, color, and loose brushstrokes. All of which were important to the Impressionists as well. Gauguin however uses extremely bright colors that don’t imitate the natural colors one would see in real world. For example, as stated in the title of this piece Christ is yellow, shadowed with blues and greens. The landscape is also much more vibrant with great emphasis on the yellow, red, and gold tones. These colors seem to be slightly exaggerated than what one would really being seeing in a landscape like this. Gauguin’s interest in light can be seen in the shadows shown on Christ’s body, and in the contrast of light on the woman in the foreground of the bottom left corner. Gauguin also uses loose brushstrokes, however they do not appear to be as loosely painted as some impressionist paintings.

            The Yellow Christ shows difference because it is modern and avant-garde, which helps the viewers see that Gauguin is making advancements on the current issues regarding aesthetics. Gauguin’s use of color is very different and avant-garde because not only are the colors extremely vibrant and blocked together, but he also has all the figures outlined in black. He is using these colors to evoke emotion and create a mood for the viewers, which is also avant-garde and different from the intentions of Impressionist artists. Gauguin has a deeper perception of feeling and emotions in comparison to the impressionists. We can also see that this painting is showing difference because though it is showing a landscape we are seeing women dressed modernly, which is different from a usual landscape painting.