Paul Signac
1863-1935

Paul Signac was a French artist made famous for helping to develop the pointillism style. Up close, his paintings just look like thousands of colorful dots. But, when you take a step back and look again, the dots blend artfully together to show landscapes, people and other scenery.

Paul Victor Jules Signac was born on November 11, 1863, in Paris, France. The only child of wealthy parents, Paul grew up in a neighborhood filled with famous artists and stage actors. As a child, he was drawn to the creative world but decided to study architecture instead of fine arts. However, when Paul was 18, he saw the artwork of Claude Monet and became convinced that he should be a painter instead of an architect.

Although Paul had no formal art training, he was supported by his parents' money and did not have to work. So, he could spend time painting and learning from his own mistakes. He was particularly drawn to Impressionist art, which used bright colors and short brushstrokes that did not include a lot of detail work. In 1884, Paul met fellow artist Georges Seurat, who painted in a different style. Working with Georges, Paul soon abandoned his short brushstrokes and began experimenting with painting patterns of dots on his canvas.