Radical harmony: Helene Kröller-Müller's Neo-impressionists

Abstract

"This catalogue accompanies the National Gallery's first-ever exhibition devoted to the vibrant Neo-Impressionist movement. Organised thematically, the book interweaves the works of French, Belgian, and Dutch artists, painted from 1886 - the year in which Seurat established the Pointillist movement - to the early twentieth century. The publication focuses on an exceptional loan of works from the Kröller-Müller Museum in Otterlo, The Netherlands, founded by the pioneering collector Helene Kröller-Müller. She was one of the first great women art patrons of the twentieth century, and her acquisitions and support of artists were key to shaping the canon of modern art. The book recounts the formation of Kröller-Müller's extraordinary collection, before thematic texts explore the use of the dot in Neo-Impressionism; the relationship between the movement and anarchism; the interplay between Neo-Impressionism, modern life and entertainment; as well as the subjects of interiors and portraiture, which recur throughout these mesmerising works."--Provided by publisher.

Contents

Radical harmony: an introduction / Julien Domercq -- 'Light & delicate, spiritual in content or colour' / Renske Cohen Tervaert -- Helene Kröller-Müller as Nietsche's 'New Man' / Christopher Riopelle -- Turning points: The Neo-impressionist dot / Annabel Bai Jackson -- 'The pursuit of harmony': Neo-impressionism and anarchism / Caroline Shields -- Is the portrait dead? / MaryAnne Stevens -- The question of Neo-impressionist interior scenes / Charlotte Cachin -- The double spectacle of Seurat's Chahut / Marnin Young.