Auxerre, La Rivière 1902

Paul Signac, a leading figure in the Neo-Impressionist movement, painted Auxerre, La Rivière using oil on canvas. Signac, along with his peer, Georges Seurat, developed the Pointillist technique in response to the rapidly industrializing landscape of 19th-century France. Here, Signac captures Auxerre, a town steeped in history and tradition, through a modern lens. The juxtaposition is striking. The seemingly detached, scientific approach to painting – with its tiny dots of color – is used to depict a place brimming with historical weight. Yet, as we gaze at the canvas, the dots dissolve, and the scene shimmers with life. Signac's choice of subject reflects the complexities of identity and place in a changing world. The emotions evoked by the colors, and the river, connect us not only to the artist but also to the many who have stood on that shore.