Nabis
A
small group of French artists, active in the 1880s,
who were inspired by Gauguin's method of painting in
pure colour. Their approach is epitomized by a
statement by the painter Denis, one of the group's
members: 'Remember that a picture, before being a
horse, a nude, or some kind of anecdote, is
essentially a flat surface covered with colours.'
Their pictures are characterized by broad surfaces of
flat colour or patterns. As well as painting, the
group was interested in printmaking, posters, book
illustrations, textiles and theatre design.
Representative
painters:
Bonnard, Denis, Vuillard