Neo-impressionism facts for kids

Quick facts for kids A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte
Artist	Georges Seurat
Year	1884–1886
Type	Oil on canvas
Location	Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago

Portrait of Félix Fénéon
Artist	Paul Signac
Year	1890
Type	Oil on canvas
Location	Museum of Modern Art, New York

Neo-impressionism was a cool art style that started in France in 1886. It was founded by a famous artist named Georges Seurat. His most well-known painting, A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte, showed off this new style for the first time.

What is Neo-impressionism?

This art movement began when many painters were looking for fresh ways to create art. Artists who followed Neo-impressionism loved to paint modern city scenes. They also enjoyed painting beautiful landscapes and ocean views.

Neo-impressionist painters used science ideas about lines and colors in their art. They wanted to make their paintings look very precise and bright.

Painting with Dots: Pointillism

One of the most important techniques in Neo-impressionism was called Pointillism. This is why you often hear about Pointillism when people talk about Neo-impressionism.

In Pointillism, artists painted tiny, separate dots of pure color onto the canvas. When you stand far away, these dots blend together in your eyes. This creates new colors and a shimmering effect. It's like how a TV screen makes a picture from tiny colored lights!

Who Named Neo-impressionism?

An art critic named Félix Fénéon first used the name "Neo-impressionism". He wrote about it in a Belgian magazine called L’art Moderne in 1886.

Fénéon wanted to show that Seurat's painting style was different from the older Impressionism movement. The Neo-impressionism movement lasted for about five years in total.

Images for kids

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  Paul Signac, 1890, Portrait of Félix Fénéon.

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  Henri-Edmond Cross, The Evening Air, c. 1893.

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  Georges Seurat, Le Cirque, 1891.

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  Paul Signac, 1893, Femme à l'ombrelle.

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  Giuseppe Pellizza da Volpedo, The Fourth Estate, 1899-1901.

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  Charles Angrand, Couple dans la rue, 1887.

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  Théo van Rysselberghe, Portrait of Alice Sethe, 1888.

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  Camille Pissarro, Hay harvest at Eragny-sur-Epte, 1889.

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  Georges Lemmen, The Beach at Heist, 1891.

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  Henri-Edmond Cross, Les cyprès à Cagnes, 1908.

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  Robert Antoine Pinchon, La Seine à Rouen au crépuscule, 1905.

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  Jean Metzinger, Femme au Chapeau, c.1906.

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  Robert Delaunay, Portrait de Metzinger, 1906.

See also

In Spanish: Neoimpresionismo para niños