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How did Roger Fry promote Post-Impressionism in England?
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Art criticism
The Painter's Studio, oil on canvas by Gustave Courbet, 1854â55, in the MusĂ©e d'Orsay, Paris, France.
Roger Fry was the primary champion of Post-Impressionism in England, a term he coined to describe the work of artists like Paul CĂ©zanne, Paul Gauguin, Henri Matisse, and Vincent van Gogh.1
He promoted the movement through several key initiatives:
- Exhibitions: In 1910, Fry organized the landmark exhibition "Manet and the Post-Impressionists" at the Grafton Galleries, followed by a second exhibition in 1912. These events revolutionized aesthetics in England, shifting Fry from a traditional critic to a leader of the avant-garde.1
- Writing: Fry published numerous articles and books, such as Vision and Design (1920) and CĂ©zanne (1927), which provided the theoretical framework for understanding these artists' structural and color-based innovations.1
- Design: In 1913, he founded the Omega Workshops, a collective that applied Post-Impressionist aesthetics to functional objects like furniture and china, aiming to integrate modern art into everyday life.1