Art History: Outlines of Cloisonnism.

Cloisonnism is a style of post-impressionist painting. Usually, areas of flatforms are separated with the use of bold outlines, inspired by Japanese woodblock prints. Characteristics in paintings of this form are simplified shapes and flat or unnatural colours with heavy outlines, reminiscent of Gothic stained glass that emphasise their decorative qualities. Rather than blending colours for realistic representation, Cloisonnist painters separate colours into flat shapes usually with a boldened outline. Art historians claim that Cloisonnism was developed by the modern artist Louis Anquetin and Émile Bernard. However, suggest it wasn't coined until March 1888, by art critic Édouard Dujardin. Dujardin is said to have named the style in comparison to ‘cloisonné’, the decorative technique used to decorate metalwork. The best-known example of Cloisonnism is by Paul Gauguin, ‘The Yellow Christ’.