The Neo-Impressionists and the Mediterranean

Conference presented by Laurent Genest

The Oscar Ghez collection includes a significant number of paintings by post- or neo-impressionist artists (over 130 works). Paul Signac holds a special place within this movement, both as a theorist of the pointillist technique — which he passionately promoted — and as a defender of Seurat’s legacy. He is also credited with the discovery of Saint-Tropez in 1892, while sailing the Mediterranean on his boat Olympia. At that time, it was still just a small fishing village. Before becoming the famous seaside resort it is today, Saint-Tropez welcomed many important artists at the end of the 19th century, such as Matisse and Maurice Denis, who stayed at Seurat’s villa. From then on, the Mediterranean became an inexhaustible source of subjects and inspiration for numerous painters: Henri-Edmond Cross, Henri Matisse, André Derain, Albert Marquet, Raoul Dufy, and Louis Valtat, as well as Braque and Picasso.