Henri-Edmond CROSS

Henri-Edmond Cross (born Henri-Edmond-Joseph Delacroix in 1856-1910) was a painter and printmaker. He is considered a master of the Neo-Impressionism and a leader for the second half of the movement. With the encouragement of his cousin, Cross began studying art at the young age of 11. He began his style in realism, but slowly moved to Neo-Impressionism and Pointillism. In 1886, he co-founded Société des Artistes Indépendants that was associated with the Neo-Impressionism movement (politically and artistically) and became close friends with many artists, including, Georges Seurat, Henri Matisse and Paul Signac. Struggling with health issues, he bounced between Paris and the French countryside, and his artwork often portrays the idyllic country lifestyle as opposed to the fast-paced, darker palette of city dwelling.  

While transitioning through artistic influences, Cross became famous for his mastery of color and celebrating the separation of color to create mosaic-like paintings. Although he dabbled in Pointillism, he experimented with larger brushstrokes to produce stronger intensity and concentration of color. He is credited with being a major influence in the creation of the Fauvism artistic movement.