Moulin d'Edam

Signac adopted the Neo-Impressionist pointillist painting style in 1886 and henceforth became one of its most ardent exponents. Following the death of Georges Seurat in 1891, Signac had taken on the responsibility for the development of the Neo-Impressionist school, actively participating in the exhibitions of the Société des Artistes Indépendants, as well as international venues. He made regular expeditions to the country-side--Collioure or Portrieux to name a few-- bringing back series of canvases painted in situ. He developed his works in watercolor in 1892 and began instead to use these studies as a basis for his larger compositions in oil. Furthermore, the painstakingly applied dots of color became ampler in scale as the colors became stronger and the use of contrasts became less systematic.
In 1896 Signac travelled through Holland with his friend and fellow artist Théo van Rysselberghe, visiting Flessingues, Volendam and Edam. During this journey he painted one view at Edam, focussing on the most typical Dutch motif, the windmill. The five other works from this journey focus on harbor views (Cachin 292-297). A highly-skilled and masterful technician, each section of the canvas shows his inventiveness without compromising the legibility of the entire composition. In 1898, Signac returned to this subject matter and again painted a similiar view to that of the present work, however in a more somber palette (Cachin 317).