Follower of Paul Signac (1863–1935) - Vibrant sky over the river

Technical sheet

Author: Follower of Paul Signac (1863–1935)
Vibrant Skies over the River Bridge
Chronology: c. 1940–1950
Technique: Oil on panel
Measurements: 60 × 73 cm (without frame)
Frame: 68 × 81 cm. Magnificent classic gold frame, with clean lines and a sober molding.
Style: Neo-Impressionism with direct influence from Divisionism and Signac's fragmented brushwork.
Condition: Very good, with fresh chromaticism and a structurally solid board.

2. Compositional and iconographic description

The work presents an urban landscape with a river bridge, bare trees, and monumental architecture in the background, beneath a sky of intense chromatic activity. The brushwork is brief, dynamic, and fragmented, building the atmosphere through vibrations of cobalt blue, white, yellow, and turquoise.

The composition is structured around two axes: the vertical rhythm of the trees in the foreground and the series of arches of the bridge, which guide the eye toward the softly blurred architectural mass in the background.

Light — a key element in neo-impressionism — manifests here in an almost electric way, creating contrasts between warm and cool areas that recall the river landscapes of Signac in Paris, Saint-Tropez, or La Rochelle.

The vibrant character of the sky, almost abstract, endows the scene with a modern emotional pulse, while the black line that delineates shapes adds a graphic air reminiscent of Derain or Vlaminck's late works, always maintaining the divisionist signature inherited from the French master.

3. Style, Context, and Comparisons

The work is fully integrated into Paul Signac's legacy: a facetated brushstroke, light decomposition, and a chromatic approach that prioritizes vibrancy over descriptive detail. Its approach also recalls Henri-Edmond Cross's divisionism or Signac's Mediterranean period, where light is the absolute protagonist.

Within the current market, this type of work by direct followers of neo-impressionism finds an audience among collectors of French avant-garde schools, especially because of its chromatic strength and decorative capacity. Its plastic energy and modern composition place it within the post-impressionist tradition, which, in the hands of esteemed artists like Signac, Valtat, or Luce, continues to be highly appreciated.

The piece stands out for its poetic depiction of the landscape, its vibrant luminosity, and its technical proficiency, establishing itself as a work of notable appeal for collectors of neo-impressionism and French painting influenced by fauvist/divisionist styles.