The Neo-Impressionist movement, led by Seurat and Signac, evolved from the Impressionist tradition. The movement focused on applying scientific theories to art, especially the color research of Michel-Eugène Chevreul, who explored the effects of complementary colors. Neo-Impressionists adopted the concept of optical mixing, where juxtaposed colors create more vibrancy than pre-mixed pigments. Adherents were also influenced by Charles Henry's psychological theories, in which color and line were linked to emotions (e.g., bright colors evoke joy, dark ones sadness). In addition to their artistic innovations, such as pointillism or divisionism, they shared social and political concerns, aligning with anarchism, as seen in figures like Pissarro, Signac, and critic Fénéon. Seurat’s A Sunday on La Grande Jatte (1886) marked the movement’s public debut, and after his death in 1891, Signac continued to develop these theories, publishing his reflections on color in 1899.

Please join us for an exclusive tour of the Musée d’Orsay Neo-Impressionist collection on Tuesday, February 11, at 9:00 a.m.

This event is open to all AFMO members.

All invitations are personal and non-transferable.

Georges Seurat, Le Cirque, 1891. ©Musée d’Orsay, Dist. RMN-Grand Palais / Patrice Schmidt