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 Painting Size: 24 x 29" (61 x 74cm) Outside Frame Size: 31 x 36" (79 x 91cm) Yvonne Canu is currently one of the most in demand exponents of Pointillism w...
Canvas, 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
$20,166Sale 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
$25,526
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...
Oil, Board
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
Paris La Concierge signed lower left
By Yvonne Canu
Located in Saint-Ouen-sur-Seine, FR
This painting by Yvonne Canu is a refined and luminous example of modern Neo-Impressionism. Using a delicate pointillist technique inherited from Georges Seurat, the artist composes ...
Oil
Just Swim V
By Gordon Hunt
Located in Deddington, GB
Just swim V [2022] original Acrylic on deep edge canvas Image size: H:30 cm x W:30 cm Complete Size of Unframed Work: H:30 cm x W:30 cm x D:4cm Sold Unframed Please note that insitu...
Canvas, Acrylic
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
$5,500
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
$3,715
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
$5,805
H 14.18 in W 20.08 in
Norwegian Oil Painting, Twilight over the Fjord, 16 September 1913
By Hans Dahl
Located in Stockholm, SE
Painted and dated 16 September 1913, this intimate fjord landscape shows Hans Dahl’s long engagement with western Norwegian scenery into a concentrated meditation on light at day’s e...
Canvas, Oil, Board
$4,063
H 12.8 in W 10.44 in
Severin Nilson Children in Meadow Oil Painting Swedish Impressionism
Located in Stockholm, SE
Severin Nilson (1846–1918) Sweden Children in a Flower Meadow signed lower right Severin Nilson oil on board laid on panel unframed 25 × 18 cm (9.8 × 7.1 in) framed 32.5 × 26.5 cm ...
Oil, Wood Panel, Board
$7,000
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
$3,076
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
$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
$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
Waterfall and Timber – A View from Norrland
By Oscar Lycke
Located in Stockholm, SE
Provenance: Acquired directly from Katarina Gunnarsson, who inherited the painting from her mother, Barbro, the daughter of the artist. This striking landscape by Oscar Lycke depict...
Canvas, Oil, Board
$7,880Sale Price|20% 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
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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
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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