Paul Signac

Happy Birthday Paul Signac!! French painter, born in 1863, Paul Signac was a  leader, particularly after the death of Seurat, of the neo-classical school in Paris.  He worked in the pointillist method established by Georges Seurat. Fortunately born into wealth, Signac was taken by a Monet exhibit and decided to pursue painting himself. Largely self-taught, he studied the work of fellow Impressionists, focusing particularly on landscapes in fresh bright colors, looking to brighten the palette. He became a follower and later a theoretician of pointillism. He loved the sea, hence his portrayal of this fascination in his work.

Pointillism-style of Impressionist painting using the idea of visual fusion of colors to create a desired effect. Tiny dots (points) of color are juxtaposed to create a new color (for instance yellow next to blue to achieve green) and subtle tonal shading from one hue to the next with a glistening effect of shimmering sunlight.