Louis Anquetin and Cloisonnism: An Exploration of His Art

Louis Anquetin (1861–1932) is an emblematic figure of Post-Impressionism and the Cloisonnist movement, a style that marked the end of the 19th century. A talented artist and bold experimenter, Anquetin played a key role in the evolution of modern painting. His friendship and collaboration with Émile Bernard were decisive in the emergence of Cloisonnism and Synthetism , styles inspired by Japanese prints and medieval stained glass. This article explores Anquetin's career, his relationship with Bernard, and their mutual influence on the development of this innovative approach to painting.

Painting by Louis Anquetin depicting a red-haired woman combing her hair in front of a mirror, dressed in a blue skirt and a white blouse, in a richly decorated interior.
Louis Anquetin, Woman at her toilette, circa 1890. Oil on canvas. A red-haired female figure is combing her hair in front of a mirror, in an interior with luxuriant motifs, typical of the cloisonnist movement.

The training of Louis Anquetin

Born in Étrépagny in 1861, Louis Anquetin initially intended to pursue a military career before turning to art. He joined the studio of Léon Bonnat, where he met Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. Later, he joined the studio of Fernand Cormon, where he encountered other promising artists such as Vincent van Gogh and Émile Bernard. It was in this stimulating environment that Anquetin began to experiment with different pictorial approaches, influenced by Impressionism and research into color and light.

Louis Anquetin and the birth of cloisonnism

Cloisonnism emerged around 1887 as a reaction against Impressionism and its diffuse treatment of light. Inspired by Japanese prints, stained glass, and medieval art, this style is characterized by flat areas of color outlined by thick, dark lines, reminiscent of the contours of Gothic stained glass.

Along with Émile Bernard, Anquetin was one of the pioneers of this approach, developing a visual language radically different from Impressionism. They sought to simplify form, to structure it more effectively, and to give it a new expressive power. Among Anquetin's early cloisonnist works, Woman at Her Toilette perfectly illustrates this aesthetic with its vibrant colors and well-defined contours.

Together, Bernard and Anquetin created cloisonnism, a style based on flat areas of color surrounded by dark outlines. Inspired by medieval stained glass and Japanese prints, cloisonnism simplifies forms while amplifying their visual impact.

Louis Anquetin's collaboration with Émile Bernard

Anquetin and Bernard maintained a relationship of artistic emulation that spurred them to innovate. Bernard, younger than Anquetin, developed a theoretical approach to cloisonnism, which he applied in his works and shared with his friend. Anquetin, for his part, explored the effects of materials and textures in his compositions, contributing to the enrichment of this emerging style.

Their collaboration culminated in discussions with Paul Gauguin in Pont-Aven. Gauguin quickly adopted cloisonnism and merged it with his own research to create synthetism. While Bernard and Anquetin remain the initiators of the movement, Gauguin became its most emblematic figure.

The evolution of Anquetin's style

Despite his foundational role in Cloisonnism, Anquetin gradually distanced himself from this style around the 1890s. Fascinated by the art of the Old Masters, he moved towards a more academic and classical style of painting, marked by the influence of Rubens and the great masters of the Renaissance. This evolution placed him on the margins of the avant-garde, and his work was gradually eclipsed by the successes of his contemporaries, notably Gauguin and Van Gogh.

He nevertheless continued to paint and teach, producing works that demonstrated great technical mastery, but which no longer had the revolutionary impact of his cloisonnist experiments.

A rich but short-lived collaboration

Despite their initial collaboration, Bernard and Anquetin followed divergent paths. Bernard gradually moved away from the avant-garde to explore more classical and religious styles. Anquetin, on the other hand, became interested in art history and adopted a more retrospective approach, inspired by the great masters of the Renaissance.

Their collaboration, however, remains a pivotal moment in the evolution of modern art. Their joint experimentation opened new aesthetic avenues and paved the way for movements such as Fauvism and Cubism.

Iconic works and legacy of Louis Anquetin

Anquetin leaves a lasting mark with "Woman with an Umbrella" , an urban scene where cloisonnism meets Parisian elegance.

His influence was not limited to his contemporaries. His innovations in the use of color, shapes, and lines inspired modern artists such as Henri Matisse, Pablo Picasso, and the Expressionist painters.

"Painting by Louis Anquetin, Woman with an Umbrella (1891), depicting an elegant woman seen in profile, holding a red umbrella. Her flowered hat and blue dress contrast with the urban background, in a distinctive cloisonnist style."
"Discover Woman with an Umbrella by Louis Anquetin, an iconic post-impressionist work from 1891. This painting captures feminine elegance through a vibrant palette and a strong cloisonné style, where bold outlines and flat areas of color create a modern and dynamic atmosphere."

Louis Anquetin was a daring experimenter whose contribution to Cloisonnism, alongside Émile Bernard, marked a turning point in modern painting. While his gradual distancing from the avant-garde led to a certain marginalization of his work, his influence on subsequent artistic movements is undeniable. Rediscovering Anquetin means understanding a key stage in the transition between Impressionism and the 20th-century avant-garde, and appreciating the importance of his formal and chromatic innovations in the evolution of Western art.

Other artists of Synthetism and Cloisonnism: