French artist Yvonne Canu was transfixed by Pointillism, a technique that was pioneered in the 19th century by Georges Seurat, and devoted her career to mastering it. Over half a century after Seurat’s death, Canu gravitated towards French Postimpressionism and was pivotal in carrying Pointillism into the modern era.
Born in Morocco, Canu studied in Paris at the École des Arts Decoratifs until the start of WWII. Following the war, she met French painter Élisée Maclet and French-Japanese artist Léonard Tsuguharu Foujita who were influential in her exploration of Impressionist art. She also studied Cubism at the Académie de la Grande Chaumière alongside prolific French artist Ossip Zadkine.
Seeing Seurat’s masterpiece A Sunday on La Grande Jatte ultimately set Canu on a path to understand the complexities of his practice. She investigated Seurat’s use of complementary color and studied the work of French chemist Michel Eugène Chevreul, who in the 19th century worked as the director of the famous Parisian tapestry factory, Gobelins Manufactory. In her work, she experimented with dabbing colors in such a way as to allow the viewer to perceive the greater tableau from afar.
Through this approach, Canu championed a colorful approach to water scenes including seascapes, harbors and rivers. Critics have drawn comparisons between Canu’s work and other 20th-century French artists who expanded on the innovative artistic ideas established in the 19th century.
Find original Yvonne Canu paintings and wall decorations on 1stDibs.
St. Florent Corsica Yvonne Canu A framed Pointillist oil painting
By Yvonne Canu
Located in St. Albans, GB
Yvonne Canu 1921 – 2008 Signed bottom right and signed and titled on the reverse. Painting Size: 24 x 29" (61 x 74cm) Outside Frame Size: 31 x 36" (79 x 91cm) Yvonne Canu is cur...
Canvas, Oil
Collioure by Yvonne Canu
By Yvonne Canu
Located in New Orleans, LA
Yvonne Canu 1921-2008 French Collioure Signed "Canu" (lower right) Signed and titled "Collioure" (en verso) Oil on canvas The port of the southern French town of Collioure shines...
Canvas, Oil
$20,333Sale Price|20% Off
'La Fontaine de Neptune a Paris' - The Fountain of Neptune in Paris Yvonne Canu
By Yvonne Canu
Located in St. Albans, GB
Yvonne Canu 1921 – 2008 Signed bottom right and signed, titled and numbered 967 on the reverse Canvas Size: 22 x 18" (55 x 46cm) Outside Frame Size: 28 x 24" (70 x 60cm) Yvonne Ca...
Oil
Yvonne Canu - Bouquet de Fleurs, Neo-Impressionist Pointillist Oil 1980
By Yvonne Canu
Located in Marlow, Buckinghamshire
Yvonne Canu (French, 1921–2008), Bouquet de fleurs, oil on canvas, signed lower right and dated 1980 — a Neo-Impressionist still life by the painter often described as the last of th...
Oil
$25,737
Repos dans un champs de coquelicots - Pointillist Landscape Oil by Yvonne Canu
By Yvonne Canu
Located in Marlow, Buckinghamshire
Signed pointillist oil on panel figures in landscape by French neo-impressionist painter Yvonne Canu. This stunning piece depicts a couple resting under a parasol in a field of wildf...
Board, Oil
$23,230
'Barques a St. Florent Corse' . Boats at Saint Florent, Corsica. Pointillism
By Yvonne Canu
Located in St. Albans, GB
Yvonne Canu 1921 – 2008 Canvas Size: 18 x 21.5 (46 x 55cm) Outside Frame Size: 25.5 x 29" (65 x 74cm) Yvonne Canu is currently one of the most sought after contemporary pointillis...
Oil
Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port by Yvonne Canu
By Yvonne Canu
Located in New Orleans, LA
Yvonne Canu 1921-2008 French Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port Signed "Canu" (lower right) Signed and titled "Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port" (en verso) Oil on canvas A luminous testament to the ...
Canvas, Oil
Les Arbres Oil Painting, Pointillist Style, Framed, 20th Century
By Yvonne Canu
Located in New York, NY
Signed lower right: Canu Provenance: Private Collection, US Yvonne Canu was influenced by the Pointillists school and very strongly so by Georges Seurat and by Sunday Afternoon on ...
Canvas, Oil
$2,400Sale Price|20% Off
Original Seascape Lithograph by Yvonne Canu, Pointillism Style
By Yvonne Canu
Located in Miami, FL
A stunning original seascape lithograph by listed French painter, Yvonne Canu. Truly captivating colors, magnificent "pointillism" method. Poin...
Paper
$2,400Sale Price|31% Off
Yvonne Canu Seascape Lithograph French Pointillism Art
By Yvonne Canu
Located in Miami, FL
A stunning original seascape lithograph by listed French painter, Yvonne Canu. Truly captivating colors, magnificent "pointillism" method. Poin...
Paper, Paint
$3,669
H 18.51 in W 22.84 in
Kornhamnstorg, Gamla stan, Stockholm, with Riddarholmskyrkan in the background
Located in Stockholm, SE
This atmospheric painting depicts Kornhamnstorg in Gamla stan during the quiet hours of evening. The scene unfolds along the waterfront where the historic square meets the water, wit...
Oil, Board
$2,800Sale Price|71% Off
H 1.75 in W 31.5 in
"The Road Beneath the Snow (Le Chemin Sous la Neige)" Eugène Bégarat
By Eugène Bégarat
Located in SANTA FE, NM
"The Road Beneath the Snow (Le Chemin Sous la Neige)" Eugène Bégarat (French, 1943) Oil on canvas Signed lower left 15 3/4 x 31 1/2 inches Saturated with winter's light glinting off...
Canvas, Oil
$2,850
H 99 in W 98.5 in D 0.25 in
A Figurative Pointillist Painting after Georges Seurat’s “Sunday Afternoon…”
Located in San Francisco, CA
On offer is a monumental pointillism painting, a reinterpretation of “A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte,” created a century earlier by French painter George Seurat,...
Canvas, Oil
$4,500
H 36.5 in W 31 in D 3.5 in
"Village Provençal " Pointillistic Colorful Landscape Oil Painting on Canvas
By Lucia Fortuny
Located in New York, NY
A large Mid-20th Century oil painting depicting a beautiful landscape on a sunny day of the Village Provençal in France. This piece has a strong presence with bold brushwork and heav...
Canvas, Oil
$1,516Sale Price|20% Off
H 20 in W 18 in D 2 in
Antique American School Pointillist Fall Landscape Lake View Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Antique American school pointillist landscape painting. Oil on board, circa 1920. Unsigned. Displayed in a period impressionist frame. Image size, 14"L x 16"H.
Canvas, Oil
$6,757
H 21 in W 28 in
Jean Vollet - Pointillist Landscape Oil Painting by Jean Vollet
Located in Marlow, Buckinghamshire
Signed oil on canvas pointillist landscape circa 1980 by French painter Jean Vollet. The work depicts a view of a flooded River Loing - a tributary if the River Seine that runs throu...
Canvas, Oil
$4,500
H 33.5 in W 29.25 in D 2 in
"Voilier" Pointillistic Colorful Sea Scape with Sailboat Oil Painting on Canvas
By Lucia Fortuny
Located in New York, NY
A large Mid-20th Century oil painting landscape depicting a figure near a boat with a beautiful sailboat in a Marina in France with other sailboats in the distance. This piece has a ...
Canvas, Oil
$3,038
H 13.19 in W 20.28 in
Pointillist - Scandinavian Winter Landscape, 1907 by Arthur Percy
Located in Stockholm, SE
Introducing "Scandinavian Winter Landscape, 1907" a mesmerizing painting by the artist Arthur Percy Carlsson, later known as Arthur C:son Percy (1886-1976). Born in Vickleby, Öland, Percy's artistic journey was one defined by unwavering determination and exceptional talent. This landscape painting presents a winter landscape, likely set during the early spring season. The canvas portrays a vast, snow-filled meadow, blanketed in pristine white. Above, the sky comes alive in a captivating pointillist style, with hues of blue, turquoise, and yellow forming delicate, scattered dots, while small clouds grace the horizon. The scene unfolds with an enchanting backdrop of a distant forest, its trees adorned with a touch of winter's charm. Between the enchanting forest and the expansive meadow, a few humble houses...
Canvas, Oil
$68,323
H 25 in W 29 in
Vue de Provence - Pointillist Landscape Oil by Lucie Cousturier
Located in Marlow, Buckinghamshire
Signed oil on board pointillist landscape circa 1910 by French post impressionist painter Lucie Cousturier. The work depicts a castle on a hilltop in Provence, in the south of France...
Oil, Board
$5,600Sale Price|20% Off
H 25 in W 31 in D 3.25 in
"Honfleur La Lieutenance" Pointillistic Marine Landscape Oil Painting on Canvas
Located in New York, NY
This stunning piece of The Lieutenancy, a prestigious building which sits at the entrance to the Vieux Bassin de Honfleur, which is a true witness to the history of the Norman port, ...
Canvas, Oil
$956
H 27.56 in W 23.63 in D 2.37 in
Leonard Bennetts (1933-2044) Mid 20thC impasto post impressionist oil painting
Located in Cirencester, GB
ARTIST: Leonard Bennetts (1933-2004) New Zealand / British TITLE: "Orchard Landscape" MEDIUM: oil on canvas SIZE: 70cm x 60cm inclusive of frame CONDITION: very good NOTES:Leonard...
Oil
$4,357
H 22.45 in W 29.14 in D 2.76 in
Lucien Neuquelman, Paris 1909 – 1988, French, Old Harbor of Honfleur - Normandy
By Lucien Neuquelman
Located in Knokke, BE
Neuquelman Lucien Paris 1909 – 1988 French Painter 'Old Harbor of Honfleur - Normandy' Signature: Signed bottom right Medium: Oil on board Dimensions: Image size 50 x 65 cm, frame s...
Oil, Board
Sold
H 18.75 in W 21.88 in D 1.25 in
Preparations for the Regattas by Yvonne Canu
By Yvonne Canu
Located in New Orleans, LA
Yvonne Canu 1921-2008 French Preparations for the Regattas (Préparations aux Régates) Signed "Canu" (lower right) Titled "Préparations aux Régates" (en verso) Oil on canvas A lum...
Canvas, Oil
Saint-Tropez by Yvonne Canu
By Yvonne Canu
Located in New Orleans, LA
Yvonne Canu 1921-2008 French Saint-Tropez Signed "Canu" (lower right) Titled "Saint-Tropez" (en verso) Oil on canvas An idyllic seaside cityscape of Yvonne Canu's beloved Saint-T...
Canvas, Oil
Sold
H 32.5 in W 37.5 in D 1.33 in
Bélon, le port à marée basse by Yvonne Canu
By Yvonne Canu
Located in New Orleans, LA
Yvonne Canu 1921-2008 French Bélon, le port à marée basse (Bélon, The Port at Low Tide) Signed "Canu" (lower right) Oil on canvas This original oil on canvas by Yvonne Canu capt...
Canvas, Oil
Sold
H 25.5 in W 29 in D 3 in
'Marché de Provence - A Market in Provence' Signed oil painting on canvas
By Yvonne Canu
Located in St. Albans, GB
Yvonne Canu 1921 – 2008 Signed bottom right and signed, titled and numbered 300 on the reverse Canvas Size: 21 x 25" (54 x 65cm) Outside Frame Size: 29 x 33" (74 x 85cm) Yvonne Ca...
Oil
Marseille By Yvonne Canu
By Yvonne Canu
Located in New Orleans, LA
Yvonne Canu 1921-2008 French Marseille Signed "CANU" on lower left Oil on canvas The picturesque French Riviera is presented in French Post-Impressionist Yvonne Canu's signature ...
Canvas, Oil
Saint-Tropez, Le Port By Yvonne Canu
By Yvonne Canu
Located in New Orleans, LA
Yvonne Canu 1921-2008 French Saint-Tropez, le port Signed "CANU" (lower right) Oil on canvas The peaceful port of Saint-Tropez is captured in serene detail in this extraordinary...
Canvas, Oil
Sold
H 20.13 in W 25.25 in D 1.38 in
Fishing Boats In St. Tropez By Yvonne Canu
By Yvonne Canu
Located in New Orleans, LA
Yvonne Canu 1921-2008 French Fishing Boats in St. Tropez Signed "CANU" on lower right boat Oil on canvas The picturesque French Riviera is presented in French Post-Impressionist ...
Canvas, Oil
Sold
H 29 in W 37 in
Saint Tropez au soleil couchant - Pointillist Landscape Oil by Yvonne Canu
By Yvonne Canu
Located in Marlow, Buckinghamshire
Signed and titled pointillist oil on cavas landscape by French painter Yvonne Canu. This stunning piece depicts boats moored at a harbour in Saint Tropez as the sun sets. There is a ...
Canvas, Oil
Sold
H 27.5 in W 31.375 in D 2 in
Yvonne Canu “Les Regates” French Pointillist Impressionist School Harbor Oil
By Yvonne Canu
Located in Atlanta, GA
Yvonne Canu (French, 1921-2008), “Les Regates”. A fine French Pointillist oil on canvas painting of sailboats in the harbor. The scene also includes...
Canvas, Wood, Paint
St. Tropez
By Yvonne Canu
Located in New Orleans, LA
Yvonne Canu 1921-2008 French St. Tropez Signed "Canu" (lower right) Signed and titled "St. Tropez / y. Canu" (en verso) Oil on canvas The picturesque French Riviera is presented ...
Canvas, Oil
Douarnenez
By Yvonne Canu
Located in New Orleans, LA
Yvonne Canu 1921-2008 French Douarnenez Signed "Canu" (lower right) Signed and titled "Douarnenez / y. Canu" (en verso) Oil on canvas A picturesque harbor in the French town of Douarnenez is the subject of this extraordinary oil on canvas by the French Post-Impressionist Yvonne Canu. The 20th-century painter's pointillist creations are distinctly modern, rendered with painstakingly precise dots of pure color that brilliantly blend together to form a cohesive work of art. This oil exemplifies her distinctive style, which displays the influence of the Post-Impressionist icon Georges Seurat in both its technique and choice of subject - though this work displays a more vibrant color palette, it is reminiscent of Seurat's Entrance to the Port of Honfleur. Canu's use of minuscule points of pigment and bright colors results in this stunning scene full of light and motion. Born in Morocco in 1921, Yvonne Canu traveled to Paris to study at the reputable École des Arts Decoratifs. Following the First World War, she entered the circle of the French-Japanese painter...
Canvas, Oil
14 juillet, Montmartre (July 14, Montmartre)
By Yvonne Canu
Located in New Orleans, LA
A crowd celebrates Bastille Day in the Montmartre arrondissement of Paris in this brilliantly lit and vibrantly colored oil on canvas by the French Post-Impressionist Yvonne Canu. The 20th-century painter's pointillist creations are distinctly modern, rendered with painstakingly precise dots of pure color that brilliantly blend together to form a cohesive work of art. This oil exemplifies her distinctive style, which displays the influence of the Post-Impressionist icon Georges Seurat in both its technique and choice of subject — a modern leisure scene. Canu's use of minuscule points of pigment and bright colors results in this stunning scene full of vitality and light. Born in Morocco in 1921, Yvonne Canu traveled to Paris to study at the reputable École des Arts Decoratifs. Following the First World War, she entered the circle of the French-Japanese painter...
Canvas, Oil