Which artist is closely associated with the thick paint technique known as impasto?

• A. Vincent van Gogh
• B. Georges Seurat
• C. Johannes Vermeer
• D. Edvard Munch

Answer: (A)

Impasto is the thick application of paint that creates visible texture and ridges on the canvas, making the brushstrokes feel almost three‑dimensional and catching light in a tactile way. This technique is most closely associated with Vincent van Gogh, whose bold, expressive strokes are often built up in heavy layers. In works like Starry Night and his sunflowers, you can see the paint laid on in pronounced, swirling waves and lumps, giving the image a sense of movement and intensity that purely smooth surfaces wouldn’t convey.

Georges Seurat is known for pointillism, where tiny dots of color are applied close together so the eye blends them from a distance—texture is minimal and the method is deliberate and precise. Johannes Vermeer, celebrated for luminous realism, uses fine brushwork and glazing to achieve smooth, almost invisible textures rather than thick, physical paint. Edvard Munch does have a vigorous, expressive style, but the hallmark impasto texture isn’t what defines his work as clearly as van Gogh’s.

So the thick, textured surface most strongly signals van Gogh, making him the best match for impasto.