Le Soir - Jetée de Flessingue. Evening - The Jetty at Flessingue. by Paul Signac, 1863-1935

Paul Signac, 1863-1935
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Le Soir - Jetée de Flessingue. Evening - The Jetty at Flessingue.

Original lithograph in colours. 1898. Inscribed by Signac in pencil as '1e Essai' - The first trial proof. This impression recorded in the Signac oeuvre catalogue. A unique first proof with totally variant colours before some retouching. The edition was subsequently printed at Clot's studio for Pan, 1898.
Ref: Kornfeld & Wick-Paul Signac Prints no 20 - First proof

Superb trial proof impression. On pale cream smooth 'velin' or simili-japan paper. Excellent original condition. Full margins. Sheet: 11 1/8 x 15 ins. Image: 8 x 10 7/8ins (201x263mm).

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This impression is the unique first trial proof impression for Signac?s famous lithograph composition of Le Soir. It is inscribed by him in pencil as ?1e essai - first trial? and is the impression recorded in the Kornfeld-Wick catalogue of Signac?s oeuvre. It is the only known impression of the composition in this form, with Signac?s original concept o the colours. He subsequently changed the colours finding the visual effects of this version too problematic to edition, and the impression recording his changes is in the collection of the Boston Museum of Fine Arts.

Signac was one of the founders of the ?pointillist? style with Seurat and it was he who formulated their ideas in his treatise on Neo-Impressionism. By the use of juxtaposed touches of pure colour he and Seurat were seeking to express momentary visual sensations of light such as were the crux of the ideas of Impressionism. In his lithographs Signac found that the separations of colour imposed by the actual technique of the medium were a perfect stimulus to achieving the visual sensations that they sought in their pictures. This proof is a perfect example of the marvellous creativity of his pointillist prints.