Henri-Edmond Cross (1856-1910) befriended the neo-impressionist painters Georges Seurat and Paul Signac in the 1880s, but did not adopt their divisionist style until 1891. This sketchbook—a loose collection of folded pages—is one of three by the artist given to the Fogg by the writer May Sarton, who received them from Cross's friend Marie Closset. It allows us to follow the artist's wanderings along the French Riviera, through Juan-les-Pins, Agay, St. Tropez, and the adjacent hills. Color notations serve as prompts for the artist's visual memory (see page 1, for example: jaune / gris bleu / bleu / gris / bleu / saumon [yellow / gray blue / blue / gray / blue / salmon], while notes on neo-impressionist theories, literature, and politics provide insight into his preoccupations (other notes in the sketchbook refer to Anatole France [page 16] and Thomas Carlyle's Sartor Resartus [page 2 verso]).
Comments
Pictures
Henri-Edmond Cross's use detailed artwork in his 1857 notes from Paris, France compliment the author's intellectual and artistic abilities as means of bridging together what he intends to share. These drawings and use of color strongly introduce an academic element to what Cross intends for his audience to understand and enjoy with the help of pictures.
Brendan Ryan
The Brendan Ryan Company
Houston, Texas