Paul Signac

Amsterdam, Stedelijk Museum, Vincent Van Gogh and zijn tijdgenoten, 1930
Schiedam, Stedelijk Museum, Fransche Schilderijen uit de Negentiende en Twintigste eeuw uit de Verzameling van Herman Van Beek, Rotterdam, 1946, no. 19

Painted in 1903, the present work was executed in the same year Signac participated in the 19th Salon des Independents, held in the Grande Serre de l'Alma in Paris. Signac and Matisse were both largely involved with the Salon des Independents, Signac, ranking as a leading figure in art at this time, as vice-president and Matisse as assistant secretary. During this time, Signac was producing various scenes of the French coast and views of Paris, in his much admired  neo-impressionist style.  Also in 1903, the famous treaty on neo-impressionism by Signac titled, D’Eugène Delacroix au néo-impressionisme (Paris, 1898) was published in Germany for the first time.

Despite Signac's strong attraction for the landscapes of the South of France, the artist always remained faithful to Paris. In 1898, he moved into a studio on the Rue Lafontaine, which had a view that stretched out to the Eiffel Tower. The Seine remained one of Signac’s key subjects when depicting the city of Paris and the bridges that crossed it became a common motif in his work.  He painted numerous views of the river that showed various bridges such as the Pont des Arts or the Pont-Neuf along with the iconic monuments like the Eiffel tower and Notre-Dame that were set in the backdrop.

The present work is a perfect example of Signac’s views of the Seine and the emblematic monuments along its banks.  In this charming picture, the artist depicts a view of the Seine at Trocadéro, showing the Eiffel Tower and the Trocadéro building in the background. The Pont de l’Alma, joining the left bank and the right bank, is set in the centre of the canvas, crossing the scene horizontally.  In the foreground, he depicts the attractive glistening surface of the river with energetic and vibrant brushstrokes. In applying vivid brushwork and attractive colours to this interesting composition, the artist has provided the scene with great elegance, harmony and charm.

Paris, La Seine au Trocadéro has been in a private collection for many years, by descent from Herman Van Beek, an avid collector of French paintings at the end of the 19th and early 20th century. Herman Van Beek worked in his family’s Rotterdam-based tobacco trading company A. L. Van Beek, founded by his father. His work took him on extensive travels through Europe, giving him the opportunity to see the work of the French impressionists, for which he developed a great appreciation.  From 1905 onwards, Van Beek began building his collection, buying from dealers and auctions during his travels throughout Europe. By the 1930s, his collection included paintings by Van Gogh, Pissarro, Manet, Redon and Signac.