neoimpressionist

Neo-impressionism, also known as divisionism or chromoluminarism, is a late 19th-century painting movement that extended Impressionist concerns while introducing a systematic approach to color and light. The term was coined by the French critic Félix Fénéon around 1886 to distinguish the movement from earlier Impressionism. Its central figures were Georges Seurat and Paul Signac, who developed the technique of applying pure color in small dots or short strokes intended for optical mixing at a distance rather than direct blending on the palette. The practice is often labeled divisionism or chromoluminarism to emphasize color separation and luminous effects.

Technique and aims: Grounded in color theory, Neo-Impressionists arranged pure hues in precise configurations. They used complementary colors in proximity to intensify light and form, and approached painting as a controlled, systematic process. The method required careful planning, drawing, and often slower execution than spontaneous brushwork, producing a cool, luminous surface.

Subjects: The movement favored contemporary urban and leisure scenes, landscapes, harbors, and promenades. By focusing on modern life and structured composition, Neo-Impressionists sought to render perception through scientific color relations rather than the impressionistic emphasis on momentary effects.

Reception and legacy: Neo-Impressionism influenced later art through advances in color theory and optical effects. Although the strict divisionist technique waned by the end of the 1890s, Seurat’s and Signac’s works remained influential, and the label Neo-Impressionism is used by historians to describe painters who adopted its color-separation approach.