Two Cypresses by Paul Signac - 1893 - 81.5 x 65.5 cm Kröller-Müller Museum Two Cypresses by Paul Signac - 1893 - 81.5 x 65.5 cm Kröller-Müller Museum

Two Cypresses

Oil on canvas • 81.5 x 65.5 cm
  • Paul Signac - November 11, 1863 - August 15, 1935 Paul Signac 1893

The full title of this painting is The Two Cypresses, Opus 241 (Mistral). The scene was inspired by a real life cypress tree that Signac had encountered on a trip to Antibes, France. He chose to paint this particular landscape multiple times.

Beginning in 1886, Signac worked in the Neo-Impressionist style, layering dots and dashes of paint to create optical colored effects. Viewed closely, the eye registers the tiny brush marks of pigment as detached; viewed from a distance, however, the eye blends the colors and they appear as larger, cohesive forms. The background (and title) of Opus 241 translate Signac’s understanding of pointillistic ideas into a visual music of pure dynamics.