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
$20,427Sale 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
$23,337
'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
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
$25,758
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
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
$2,675
H 22 in W 31 in D 2.75 in
Antique French Post Impressionist Oil Painting Haystack Farm Landscape 1890
By Max Bouvet
Located in Portland, OR
A very attractive antique oil on canvas landscape painting by the French Post Impressionist artist Max Bouvet (1854-1942), the painting circa 1890. The painting depicts a pastoral sc...
Oil, Canvas
Venise - Huile sur toile, 50x100 cm., encadré
By Serge Mendjisky
Located in Nice, FR
Très belle vue de Venise. Huile sur toile par Serge Mendjisky daté 1980. Dimensions avec le cadre: 72x122 cm. Serge Mendjisky est ne en 1929 et mort e...
Oil
$3,500
H 31 in W 39 in D 1.5 in
"Day On The Lake" Pointillistic Impasto Landscape Oil Painting on Canvas Framed
By Henry Benson
Located in New York, NY
This stunning piece, depicts a rowing boat with figures across the lower half of the composition, painted in soft blues and grays with a thin red accent line along the gunwale. Its r...
Canvas, Oil
$53,538
H 25 in W 29.5 in
Le Quai Suffren - Saint Tropez - Pointillist Landscape Oil by Leon Pourtau
Located in Marlow, Buckinghamshire
Oil on canvas pointillist landscape by French painter Leon Pourtau. The work depicts a view of sail boats moored at the Suffren quay - a picturesque waterfront area in Saint-Tropez, ...
Canvas, Oil
$1,400
H 16 in W 14 in
'Joyful Blooms (Party Flowers)' - still life - fauvism - floral - iris
By Christina Renfer Vogel
Located in Atlanta, GA
This painting features vibrant hues of yellow, purple, green and pink. Chattanooga-based artist Christina Renfer Vogel holds an MFA from the Ma...
Canvas, Oil
$4,000
H 48 in W 48 in
'Ephemeral Spring' - still life - floral, botanical, impressionism, landscape
By Christina Renfer Vogel
Located in Atlanta, GA
This painting features hues of yellow, orange and purple. Chattanooga-based artist Christina Renfer Vogel’s “Turning Towards the Sun” features paintings that reflect an intentional turn towards beauty in the face of the tension & uncertainty of recent years. Through nourishing periods of focused observation, she has allowed herself to delight in jubilant color, playful pattern & sensual gesture. Her works delight in the delicate unfurling of a tender leaf & the gentle turn towards an open window, as flowers seek warmth & stretch towards sunlight in the space of a painting session. “Bringing plants...
Oil, Canvas
Fishing Harbor, Brittiny
By Hayley Lever
Located in Saratoga Springs, NY
Signed lower right and dated 1930. Lever’s “Fishing Harbor in Brittany” is as much a scene celebrating the boats and quaint architecture of coastal France, as it is a nod to its ...
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
$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
$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
$6,788
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
$68,639
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
$960
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
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
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
Le Port de Collioure
By Yvonne Canu
Located in New Orleans, LA
The port of the southern French town of Collioure is the subject of this vibrant oil on canvas by the French Post-Impressionist Yvonne Canu. The 20th-century painter's pointillist cr...
Canvas, Oil
Vue du Port, St Tropez
By Yvonne Canu
Located in Wiscasett, ME
Oil on canvas, signed lower right. Canvas measurement: 21" x 29" and with frame measures 30" x 39". Provenance: Purchased from Hilde Gerst Gallery in NYC in 1990, Private Collection...
Oil
Sailboats in Saint Tropez French Oil Painting
By Yvonne Canu
Located in Lake Worth Beach, FL
Sailboats in Saint Tropez. Yvonne Canu (1921-2008) was a French painter, consider part of Neo-Impressionism, who used the techniques of pointillism in her work such as Georges Seurat...
Cotton Canvas, Oil
St Tropez
By Yvonne Canu
Located in Wiscasett, ME
Oil on canvas, signed lower right and titled on reverse. Canvas measurement: 24" x 32". Yvonne Canu was born in 1921 in Meknes in Morocco from French parents. She started her art stu...
Oil