Signac, Paul (1863-1935)
Entrée du port d’Honfleur (Entrance to the Port of Honfleur)
1899
Oil on canvas, 41.6 × 50.5 cm
Indianapolis Museum of Art, Indianapolis
Animating this harbor scene is the glowing arc of a rainbow. Painted in 1899, years after the heyday of the Neo-Impressionist movement, the seascape shows the artist relying upon deep and vibrant hues that no longer follow Seurat’s use of color division.
Signac’s brushwork has also changed from the fine dots of the 1880s to a broader, looser stroke, applied in different directions across the surface of the canvas.
Signac was an avid sailor and painted many of the ports along the coasts of France. This view depicts Honfleur, a small town in Normandy, near the English Channel. (IMA)