Paul Signac

Neo-Impressionist painter Paul Signac (1863-1935) developed Pointillism alongside Georges Seurat and became its chief theorist and advocate. Born in Paris to a prosperous family, he abandoned architecture studies after encountering Monet's work at an 1880 exhibition. In 1884, he helped found the Salon des Indépendants, where he met Seurat and adopted his systematic approach to color.

Signac applied color theory rigorously, placing small dots of pure pigment that blend optically when viewed from a distance. An avid sailor, he painted Mediterranean ports and seascapes throughout his career, capturing light and water through his distinctive technique. After Seurat's death in 1891, Signac became Neo-Impressionism's leader, writing the influential treatise From Eugène Delacroix to Neo-Impressionism (1899). His later work loosened into broader, mosaic-like brushstrokes. A committed anarchist, he associated with radical intellectuals and supported leftist causes. Today the Musée d'Orsay holds major works, while the Metropolitan Museum and Art Institute of Chicago display significant paintings.