The Impressionism movement that came about the late 1800s had artists reeling against classical subject matter. A lot of the work that was produced at this time was bright and colourful swell as used harsh brushstrokes.
Paul Signac was a French painter born in Paris on November 11, 1863. He was known for developing the beautifully abstract technique called pointillism with Georges Seurat. When he was 18 he decided to give up architecture and study painting, specifically the colourist principles of Impressionism.
This oil painting “The Dining Room” depicts Paul Signac’s mother, grandfather and the housemaid sitting still with no expression. This type of scene was very popular in the impressionist era and this artwork is deemed to make a commentary on he self-satisfaction of civic life and the authoritarian capitalism.
Signac created this piece to honour his friend Félix Fénéon who was an influential art critic among many things. This unconventional portrait remains one of his most memorable and successful work in the Neo-Impressionist style.
This painting was produced at Signac’s studio in Saint-Tropez and shows his developed style with larger brush strokes. Signac uses the effects of light and colour and the placement of the figure, his wife Berthe, to give a sense of serenity and balance in the scene.
Being a sailor, Signac traveled widely along the European coast, painting the landscapes he encountered. This piece was created in antibes using oil as a watercolour. It is trull radiant with colour and is one of the many examples of where Signac produced optical effects of a different nature as there is a sense of constant motion.
Jeff Burgess
Hannah,
Nice work on Signac! You have good solid information combined with personal thoughts on the work in question which, I’ll say it again, is what I’m looking for. Couple of typo things here, Impressionism should be capitalized in your body copy as should Antibes.
Jeff