Les Andelys, Côte d'Aval

Description

This view of the harbor of Les Andelys, a village on the Seine River near Giverny, France, is part of Paul Signac’s first series of works painted in dots and dashes of contrasting colors. The technique, called pointillism, was originated by Signac’s friend Georges Seurat. Signac would prove to be the most ardent proponent of this style, which he made his own through particular attention to geometric form. Here, for example, a triangular patch of blue creates a curve in the river, while an expanse of trapezoids in the background defines the cultivated hill.

Provenance

Given by the artist to Alexandre Charpentier (died 1909), Paris [according to Signac’s cahier d’opus no. 139 and G. Lévy and Signac’s pré-catalogue, p. 136 in Archives Signac, see Cachin 2000]. Valla, Paris, 1951 [this and the following according to Cachin 2000]. Jean Roubaud, Marseilles, 1960. Private collection, Switzerland, 1989. Sold Hôtel Drouot, Paris, June 21, 1993, lot 28 to the Art Institute.

Les Andelys, Côte d'Aval

Paul Signac

1886

Accession Number

122130

Medium

Oil on canvas

Dimensions

60 × 92 cm (23 5/8 × 36 1/4 in.); Framed: 77.5 × 109.6 × 6.4 cm (30 1/2 × 43 1/8 × 2 1/2 in.)

Classification

oil on canvas

Museum

The Art Institute of Chicago

Chicago, United States

Credit Line

Through prior gift of William Wood Prince