Pointillism is a technique of painting in which small, distinct dots of pure color are
applied in patterns to form an image.
Georges Seurat and Paul Signac developed the technique in 1886, branching from Impressionism.
The term "Pointillism" was first coined by art critics in the late 1880s to ridicule
the works of these artists, and is now used without its earlier mocking connotation.
The technique is also known as Divisionism.
The movement Seurat began with this technique is known as Neo-Impressionism.
Technique The technique relies on the ability of the
eye and mind of the viewer to blend the color spots into a fuller range of tones.
It is related to Divisionism, a more technical variant of the method.
Divisionism is concerned with color theory, whereas pointillism is more focused on the
specific style of brushwork used to apply the paint.
It is a technique with few serious practitioners today, and is notably seen in the works of
Seurat, Signac and Cross.
However, see also Andy Warhol's early works, and Pop Art.
Practice The practice of Pointillism is in sharp contrast
to the traditional methods of blending pigments on a palette.
Pointillism is analogous to the four-color CMYK printing process used by some color printers
and large presses that place dots of Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Key.
Televisions and computer monitors use a similar technique to represent image colors using
Red, Green, and Blue colors.
If red, blue, and green light are mixed, the result is something close to white light).
Painting is inherently subtractive, but Pointillist colors often seem brighter than typical mixed
subtractive colors.
This may be partly because subtractive mixing of the pigments is avoided, and partly because
some of the white canvas may be showing between the applied dots.
The painting technique used for Pointillist color mixing is at the expense of the traditional
brushwork used to delineate texture.
The majority of Pointillism is done in oil paints.
Anything may be used in its place, but oils are preferred for their thickness and tendency
not to run or bleed.
Music Pointillism also refers to a style of 20th-century
music composition.
Different musical notes are made in seclusion, rather than in a linear sequence, giving a
sound texture similar to Pointillism.
This type of music is also known as punctualism or klangfarbenmelodie.
Notable artists
Charles Angrand Chuck Close
Henri-Edmond Cross Henri Delavallée
Albert Dubois-Pillet Louis Fabien
Georges Lemmen Maximilien Luce
Camille Pissarro John Roy
Georges Seurat Paul Signac
Vincent van Gogh Théo van Rysselberghe
Hippolyte Petitjean Notable paintings
A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte by Georges Seurat
Bathing at Asnieres by Georges Seurat The Windmills at Overschie by Paul Signac
Banks of Seine by Georges Seurat A Coastal Scene by Théo van Rysselberghe
Family in the Orchard by Théo van Rysselberghe Countryside at Noon by Théo van Rysselberghe
Afternoon at Pardigon by Henri-Edmond Cross Rio San Trovaso, Venice by Henri-Edmond Cross
The Seine in front of the Trocadero by Henri-Edmond Cross
The Pine Tree at St. Tropez by Paul Signac Against the Enamel of Background Rhythmic
with Beats and Angels by Paul Signac The Yellow Sail, Venice by Paul Signac
Notre Dame Cathedral by Maximilien Luce Le Pont De Pierre, Rouen by Charles Angrand
The Beach at Heist by Georges Lemmen Aline Marechal by Georges Lemmen
Vase of Flowers by Georges Lemmen Neo-Pointillism
Neo-Pointillism is a further development of pointillism.
This style of art was born in the late 20th early 21st century.
Neo-Pointillism artists Francois Mathieu
Gallery
See also Divisionism
Micromontage, similar technique in music Neo-Impressionism
Punctualism Stippling
References
External links Georges Seurat, 1859-1891, a fully digitized
exhibition catalog from The Metropolitan Museum of Art Libraries
Signac, 1863-1935, a fully digitized exhibition catalog from The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Libraries