Symbolism

In 1892, the Parisian critic Albert Aurier wrote about ‘a new, idealist and mystical art’ that questioned his generation’s obsession with scientific analysis and naturalistic observation of the world. This new movement, Symbolism, used brilliant colour and expressive form to take the viewer into deep emotional states far removed from Impressionism’s emphasis on reproducing natural light and atmosphere. Symbolist artists, said Aurier, ‘now demand the right to dream’.