Kunsthal Rotterdam to Present Paul Signac Overview on a Scale Rarely Seen in the Netherlands

Kunsthal Rotterdam will present ‘Signac. Symphony of Colours’ from 24 October 2026 through 28 February 2027, bringing an in-depth overview of Paul Signac’s Neo-Impressionist work to Hall 1. The exhibition is described as being presented on a scale rarely seen in the Netherlands and will examine both Signac’s Pointillist paintings and his influence on artists in the country.

Signac developed Pointillism at the end of the 19th century, building on the work of Georges Seurat. Rather than mixing colours on the palette, artists working in the technique applied unblended pigments next to one another in dots and dabs. The eye optically combines them, while complementary pairings such as orange and blue or red and green intensify the effect and produce a bright, vibrant appearance.

The exhibition includes the sunlit harbour scene ‘Le Port au soleil couchant, Opus 236’ (1892), as well as ‘Le port de Rotterdam’ (1907), made during Signac’s stay in the Netherlands. Signac visited the country several times and produced large canvases inspired by its polders, harbours and cloudy skies, including views associated with Amsterdam, Volendam and Dordrecht.

The Dutch connection is also represented through Jan Toorop, whose work is used to show how Signac influenced Dutch painting and helped introduce Neo-Impressionism to the Netherlands. The presentation further includes works by Lucie Cousturier, Henri-Edmond Cross, Curt Herrmann, Maximilien Luce, Camille Pissarro, Théo van Rysselberghe, Jeanne Selmersheim-Desgrange and Seurat, alongside Toorop.

‘Signac. Symphony of Colours’ presents the artist as more than a painter. He was also a writer, collector, ambassador and mentor who contributed to the international spread of Neo-Impressionism and whose influence extended across Europe. The exhibition is organised in close collaboration with Museum Barberini in Potsdam, whose collection includes Impressionist and Neo-Impressionist paintings.