Le Clipper, Asnieres 1887

Paul Signac’s ‘Le Clipper, Asnières’ is a painting rendered with oil on canvas, using a technique known as pointillism. Rather than mixing colours on a palette, Signac applied thousands of tiny dots, allowing the viewer’s eye to blend the hues. The labor-intensive process has a direct relationship to the image itself. The water shimmers with reflected light because of the countless individual strokes. The bridge and buildings in the background are solid and stable, yet similarly broken down into a mosaic of discrete marks. It’s a fascinating tension between the handmade quality of the painting, and the industrial scene it portrays. Signac clearly engaged with a rich tradition of painting, while pushing the boundaries of colour theory and optics. It’s important to remember that even a seemingly radical technique like pointillism is deeply rooted in the artist's engagement with materials, process, and the social context of its creation. By focusing on the work involved, we appreciate the artistry all the more.