Signac Paul, French neo-impressionist artist: biography, creativity

A French painter, the author of several books on art and a yachtsman was known as a versatile personality. Already during his lifetime, this man became a recognized classic and the main representative of neo-impressionism. For his services, he was awarded the Order of the Legion of Honor. And after his death at the age of 71, contemporaries said that the talented artist had three favorite and endless horizons - art, sea and humanity.

Dream of painting

Progressive artist of the XIX century Signac Paul was born in Paris in 1863 in the family of a successful merchant. He recalled that his childhood was completely carefree and kindly parental love.

After graduating from college, Paul tells his parents that he does not intend to enter the university, but wants to realize the main dream of his life - to become a painter. Researchers creativity Sinyaka sure that such a desire is dictated by his father's hobby: at leisure he sketched landscapes, and the boy, as if spellbound, watched the birth of amateur paintings. And the neighborhood with Montmartre, which housed artistic workshops of French talent, left its imprint.

Case at the exhibition

Parents did not resist the desire of the only son to engage in creativity. Signac Paul completely immersed in contemporary art, visiting all art exhibitions and starting to copy the works of famous Impressionists. There he had an unusual incident, about which the young man remembered without much pleasure.

At the Impressionist exhibition, Paul, taking with him paper and pencils, began to carefully redraw the picture of Degas. Immediately approached him exhibited debutant and few known Gauguin with a demand to stop copying. The young man had to retire with disgrace.

The admirer of creativity Monet

In 1880, his father dies, who left a good state to his son, who was not particularly concerned with finding work, but only busy with his work.

Reflecting on his studies, which would develop his talent to the full, Signac did not even think of entering the School of Fine Arts, realizing that he was not on the way with the standard teaching of traditional painting. He worshiped the work of Monet, admiring his transfer of the River Seine. According to the future genius, only impressionism can so accurately depict the elusive movements of water currents and the amazing game of sunlight on it.

Paul dreams of meeting with his beloved artist to learn all the secrets of his work. He writes an enthusiastic letter to a venerable painter asking him to accept it. The meeting was over, but Signac was extremely dissatisfied with the master's cold reception, which did not answer the questions of interest to the young man, sending him to gain experience from his works and noting that he was not engaged in mentoring.

Paintings written in the sea

Paul Signac, whose biography is marked by creative upsurge, already in 1882 wrote his first paintings, imitating his beloved author. He was always interested in the transfer of natural variability in the paintings of the Impressionists, talented depicting the water ripples and reflections in the river. To draw from nature, Signac acquires a small sailing boat, which often travels and makes sketches. At that time, rowing became a very popular sport, and many artists gave it a kind of tribute, buying swimming equipment for their creativity.

One of the most significant works of the painter is the painting "The Cross of Seamen". The sea landscape conveys the author's sad thoughts about the tragic games of mankind with natural elements and resembles the canvas of Monet.

Pointillism and neo-impressionism

Paul Signac, whose paintings were written with the use of dot smears of pure unmixed colors, used the method of pointillism, borrowed from his friend - the artist J. Ser.

When examining his canvases from a certain angle, the person's eyes perceive the work as a single whole. Before starting to paint in this manner, Paul studied theories about optical perception laws and color solutions for a long time.

Difference from the Impressionists

This is the difference between paintings by Signac from Impressionists who impose colors on their canvases unconsciously, guided only by their intuition. The painter laid out the principles of a new direction in art in a book in which he called his style neo-impressionism. He kept a diary, where he recorded all observations of the game of color and light.

This technique allowed to create real masterpieces of landscape painting, but it did not suit the portrait genre.

Cloths consisting of smears

"The Papal Palace in Avignon, written in 1890, perfectly demonstrates the manner of the letter Signac. The smallest smears of colors that are not mixed with each other exactly lie down, visually creating a holistic picture of the palace in France. To the left of it the artist depicts a bridge created by the colors of green shades. Next painter applies strokes of a different color, not mixing them together.

And if near the picture looks like a canvas consisting of small spots, then at a distance the smears merge, forming the integrity of the work. Studying the theory of optical effects, Signac took into account Impressionist finds in painting, remembering that when the lighting changes the colors change.

Inspiration by the scenery of Saint-Tropez

Since 1892, the artist Paul Signac discovered the beauty of the Mediterranean nature of France. He leaves to the south of the country to the town of Saint-Tropez, charming him so much that the master of the brush decides to stop here. In the rebuilt house, from the windows of which opens a magical world to the exciting sea, the master allocates a room for work. Here he is visited by inspiration, and the artist creates finished watercolor sketches, recognized as one of his best works. It is believed that it was here that his neo-impressionist talent unfolded.

He often refers to the theme of trees, depicting the power of nature on canvases. On the canvas "Pine in Saint-Tropez" the spreading tree crown subordinates the landscape to itself, and the flexibility and movement of the branches is conveyed by different strokes of style. The artist, whose manner of writing is similar to the mosaic, complicates the picturesque texture and changes the color range, moving away from pastel tones to bright contrasts.

Work in the workshop, not in the nature

The pupil of the great artist described the master's studio as follows: "Not a single event on the sea will escape from the window of his house. In the workshop, the sun's rays pour in through the huge opening, making the surrounding objects a bright spot. "

The Neo-Impressionist artist no longer works, as before, in the open space. He only creates sketches, sketches, giving them a finished look in his workshop.

A talented master who wrote several works on the history of painting, which became table books for many creators, for the popularization of his genre, even got the nickname "Saint Paul".

Artist and sailor

Adored sailing race Signac Paul participates in competitions and often wins. He travels a lot, and new masterpieces are born in every city. From the sharp eye of the painter, no moment slips away - he easily transmits a glare of sunlight on the watery surface, swelled from the gusts of the wind of the ship's sails, swaying yachts on the sea waves. He even captured the race in the picture "Regatta in Concarneau", transferring the movement of sailboats rushing along the water.

Light-filled masterpieces

The paintings of Signac are literally filled with light. The painfully worried beginning of the First World War and the revolution in Russia, the artist does not tolerate disturbing thoughts on his paintings, without overshadowing harmonious works in which nature and people live in full harmony. With the development of industry in its landscapes there are industrial motives.

Experiments in painting

Working in the genre of neo-impressionism, Signac Paul enthusiastically engaged in graphics. He had his own theory on this subject, in which the horizontal line, according to the artist, conveyed a sense of peace, the descending downward signified sadness, and the ascending depicted joy and happiness.

The recognized genius worked with oil and watercolor paints, created lithographs and engravings, with the help of ink dots, sketched future canvases. Fascinated by the technique of the Byzantine mosaic, he moved from the smallest strokes to applying small squares on the canvas, forming a complete picture.

For about thirty years Paul served as president of the "Society of Independent Artists", in every way supporting young talents. He was the inspiration and example for A. Matisse and became the buyer of his first work.

Hermitage. Paintings by Signac

Written after a trip to Marseilles in 1907, the painting, executed in the technique of pointillism, is in the State Hermitage of St. Petersburg. "Harbor in Marseilles" entered the Russian Museum in the thirties of the last century. Before that, she was in the collection of the well-known patron of the arts I. Morozov, who bought unique masterpieces in Europe.

The foundation of the Hermitage in 1931 received the engraving of Signac under the name "Suda".

In 2012, produces a unique gift edition entitled "Sea voyage" The Hermitage. Pictures of famous artists, including Signac, are accompanied by descriptions and talk about the genesis of the marina.

To finish the story of a famous painter I want him in words, in which he describes himself: "I sacrificed myself for the sake of art, and only in this I can be reproached. I worked from morning till night, taking care of fame and fortune. Now you know my whole life. "