Paul Signac

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Region:Paris, France

Biography

Signac (11 November 1863 – 15 August 1935) was a French Neo-Impressionist painter. Born into a comfortable Parisian middle-class family, Signac enjoyed exposure to avant-garde culture prevailing in the Montmartre area when he was young. Supported by liberal parents, Signac developed a keen appreciation for impressionism; at age 16 he was thrown out of the fifth Impressionist exhibition after Gauguin took exception to his sketching of a work by Degas. The following year was one of the most dramatic of Signac’s life – his father died, the family business was sold, and his family to a Parisian suburb. In the midst of this disruption, Signac attended an exhibition by Monet, which he credited as playing a pivotal role in his decision to discontinue architectural studies to pursue a career as a painter. In 1884, Signac met Seurat and they struck up a close friendship, resulting in a collaboration that was instrumental in the development of the Pointillist style. Signac enjoyed considerable popular success during his lifetime, and became a patron of the arts later in life.