Artwork
Application du Cercle Chromatique de Mr. Ch. Henry
Application du Cercle Chromatique de Mr. Ch. Henry is an ink print by the Impressionist artist Paul Signac. It dates from 1889 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art. Created in 1889, Application du Cercre Chromatique de Mr.
- Inscription
- Inscribed:across top in stone: T-L; lower right in stone: P. Signac; lower left in stone: Application du Cercle Chromatique de M.r Ch. Henry / Lith. ÉUGENE VERNEAU, 108, Rue de la Folie Méricort, Paris.; across top verso printed: LE / Théâtre Libre... / Mardi 15 Janvier 1889... / LA REINE FIAMMETTE...
About this work
Overview
Created in 1889, Application du Cercre Chromatique de Mr. Ch. Henry is a color lithograph executed on card. The work presents a centrally placed circle filled with a dense field of tiny colored dots, surrounded by a decorative border of geometric shapes and lettering, all rendered in vivid, flat hues.
Subject & Meaning
The central circular motif functions as a visual demonstration of a chromatic circle, a tool used to illustrate the relationships among primary and secondary colors. Within the circle, the stippled dots arrange into a simplified landscape of building, sky and ground, suggesting how individual hues combine optically when viewed from a distance.
Technique & Style
Signac employed the pointillist method, arranging minute dots of pure red, blue, yellow and green to achieve color mixing through optical vibration. Executed as a lithographic print, the image relies on the lithographer’s ability to layer separate color plates, producing the flat, saturated areas that frame the central composition.
History & Provenance
The print was produced during Signac’s early Neo‑Impressionist period, when he and Georges Seurat were formalising the scientific approach to color. It was issued as a pedagogical sheet, likely intended for distribution among artists and students interested in the principles of chromatic harmony.
Context
At the time of its creation, the Neo‑Impressionist movement emphasized systematic color theory and the use of small, discrete brushstrokes or dots. Signac’s focus on maritime subjects is set aside here, allowing him to explore abstract compositional order and the educational potential of the chromatic circle.
Legacy
The work exemplifies how lithography could disseminate avant‑garde ideas beyond the canvas, serving as a visual aid for the study of color interaction. It remains a reference point for scholars examining the practical applications of pointillist theory in printed media.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Artist
Paul Victor Jules Signac ( seen-YAHK, French:; 11 November 1863 – 15 August 1935) was a French Neo-Impressionist painter who, with Georges Seurat, helped develop the artistic technique Pointillism.
