"Symphony of Colors" in Potsdam

Exclusive Guided Tour of the Barberini Museum

Text by Undine Kugler | Event Management

Last week, our members had the opportunity to take part in an exclusive guided tour of the exhibition “Symphony of Colors: Paul Signac and Neo-Impressionism.” The exhibition has been on view since July 4 and will remain open through October 11, 2026.

The exhibition centers on Paul Signac, who, together with Georges Seurat, developed a new style of painting in the mid-1880s that focused on light, color, and optical perception. As the first comprehensive Signac exhibition in Germany in 30 years, the show is not devoted solely to his artistic work. It also highlights his pivotal role as a theorist, networker, and exhibition organizer within the Neo-Impressionist movement.

A defining feature of the new movement was the juxtaposition of unmixed colors. Using brushstrokes applied in a serial pattern, the artists broke down their subjects into the colors of the prism. It was only in the eye of the viewer that these colors were meant to recombine and unfold a special luminosity. This technique was inspired by contemporary findings in optics and the physiology of perception. At the same time, the Neo-Impressionists sought harmony and balance between complementary colors, plane and space, and vertical and horizontal forms.

In the exhibition, more than 90 works offer a striking panorama of this vibrant visual world. On view are Signac’s early seascapes, interiors, and portraits, as well as his color-rich depictions of the Côte d’Azur, some of which are imbued with social utopian ideals. More than a third of the works on display are by Signac himself. They engage in a multifaceted dialogue with works by important fellow artists, including Georges Seurat, Camille Pissarro, Henri-Edmond Cross, Maximilien Luce, Théo van Rysselberghe, Lucie Cousturier, and Jeanne Selmersheim-Desgrange.

The tour illustrated how the Neo-Impressionists redefined the relationship between color, light, and perception, thereby shaping painting on the cusp of the modern era.