Paul Signac Art

Paul Signac (November 11, 1863 – August 15, 1935) was born in Paris. He was a French Neo-Impressionist painter who helped develop the Pointillist style while working with George Seurat. In 1892 Signac loved sailing and began to travel. He sailed in a small boat to almost all the ports of France, around the Mediterranean, to Holland, and as far as Constantinople. From his voyages, Signac brought back colorful, vibrant watercolors that he sketched rapidly from observation. From the sketches, he was able to paint large studio canvases that he carefully worked out in mosaic-like, small squares of color, quite different from the variegated, tiny dots previously used by Seurat. Signac experimented with various media, and also with watercolors and oil paintings. He made lithographs, etchings, and many ink-and-pen sketches that he created using small dots in a laborious process. Framed Paul Signac art are very popular with many collectors, and can be found in many collections, galleries, institutions, and in private homes. Signac inspired artists such as Andre Derain and Henri Matisse in, thus playing an important role in the evolution of Fauvism. From 1908 to 1935 Signac was the president of Societe des Artistes Independants. During his time at that post encouraged younger artists by exhibiting the controversial works of the Cubists and the Fauves. Signac was the first to buy a painting by Matisse. Signac met Georges Seurat and Claude Monet in 1884. He was struck by Seurat’s theory of colors and his systematic working methods.