Question

Which artists apply colors in small brush strokes, making their paintings lively depictions when seen from a distance?

Answer 1

Well Van Gogh is a huge contributor to this one. You should check out his work. His really popular painting "Starry Night" uses this technique. 
Tons of impressionists did their work this way, so they could get all of the details.
Claud Monet, Charles Angrand, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, and many many more artists used this.
To find more just look up impressionist artists. 

Answer 2

Answer: Impressionist

Explanation: “ IMPRESSIONISTS had learned that what the human eye saw was light that reflected off different sources, which the mind rearranges to make a picture. Thus, they attempted to record nature through the effects of color and light. Instead of mixing colors thoroughly, they applied colors in patches of small brush strokes, which made their paintings lively descriptions when seen from a distance. An example of this style is Édouard Manet’s A Bar at the Folies-Bergère.”

Source: Edmentum