Paul Signac and Color in Neo-Impressionism

Paul Signac and Color in Neo-Impressionism is a groundbreaking examination of the artistic technique of "divisionism" in terms of modern scientific theory of color. Truly interdisciplinary in his approach, Floyd Ratliff treats the evolution of both color theory and artistic practice in an integrated way. Signac was the principal advocate for the new movement launched by Georges Seurat in the 1880s.
The book is handsomely illustrated with both Neo-Impressionist paintings and scientific drawings and diagrams.
Ratliff's five-part essay provides an extended introduction to a translation of Signac's monograph, From Eugene Delacroix to Neo-Impressionism, widely regarded as the basic document of the movement, but never before available in English.
This will be an invaluable reference for scholars in art and design, as well as students of the psychology and neurophysiology of color vision and those interested in the relation between the arts and the sciences. Its clarity of style also makes it accessible to the general reader interested in art history, painting, or the perception of color, particularly with its glossary of technical and art terms, index, and bibliography.

Ratliff here combines his avocation for art with his knowledge of science and psychology. Guided by his interest in Signac, he begins with a biographical sketch of the artist, then explores developments in modern color theory, relating them loosely to neo-Impressionism. The book seems designed as a primer on recent studies in color perception and vision with illustrations and examples throughout. This serves as an introduction to the first English translation of a 1921 third edition of Signac's treatise on the technique of divisionism, From Eugene Delacroix to Neo-Impressionism , originally published in Paris by H. Floury. Completing the book is a glossary of technical terms and a bibliography on Signac, neo-Impressionism, and color. The book should be well received by a specialized audience of art students, art historians, and students of perception.
- Ellen Bates, New York
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.