The Seine near Sevres 

Paul Signac sketched "The Seine near Sevres" with graphite and color crayons on paper. Signac, a prominent neo-impressionist, found himself part of the late 19th-century avant-garde, a milieu deeply engaged with both the science of optics and the politics of anarchism. Signac, like many of his peers, believed in art’s potential to instigate social change. His fascination with color theory—the idea that carefully placed dots of pure color could create a more vibrant and luminous effect than traditional mixing—was paralleled by a commitment to anarchist ideals, envisioning a society where individual freedoms harmonized to create collective beauty and justice. This sketch embodies Signac's emotional and intellectual landscape, capturing a serene moment on the Seine. It reflects a yearning for harmony, both in art and society, during a period marked by rapid industrialization and social upheaval.