Signac started as Impressionist, but he realized that Impressionism had reached a dead end. He therefore decided to go back to the start and reduce art to some sort of rules, as he felt Impressionism depended too much on instinct and impulse. Signac was born in the year Delacroix died. He had a very great admiration for Delacroix and in 1899 published his book From Eugene Delacroix to Neo-Impressionism which became the charter of the new school.  Signac began painting in 1882 in Paris and Brittany under the influence of the Impressionists, particularly Monet. In 1883 he started attending the studio of Bin, a Prix de Rome winner, and there met Pere Tanguy and Riviere. In 1884 he became one of the founders of the 'Society of Independent Artists' where he exhibited, and made Seurat's acquaintance; he was President of the Society from 1908 till his death. In 1885 he met Pissarro and was involved with a group of literary Symbolists especially Felix Feneon, Paul Adam, Kahn and Dujardin, and the
 –Revue independante”. He had some definitely –pointilliste” paintings in the eighth
 and last Impressionist exhibition. Towards 1890 Signac began to paint almost entirely in his studio , working up the enormous number of drawings, sketches and watercolours (incidentally, he was all excellent watercolourist) he had accumulated during his various travels. From 1882-1884 he was at Port-en-Bessin; 1887 Collioure; 1888 Portrieux, Antwerp, and 1889 Cassis and Antwerp. In 1892 he discovered Saint-Tropez; from then onwards until about 1911 he spent part of each year there, and met Cross and Rysselberghe who were living near by. In 1896 he went to Holland on a visit; in 1898 and 1899 to Genoa, Marseilles and Paris; he went three times to Venice, in 1904, 1905 and 1908, while in 1906 he went to Marseilles and Rotterdam. In 1907 he stayed in Constantinople where he painted a large number of water colours, and
then went to Italy, to Verona and Genoa; in 1911 he went to La Rochelle and Les Sables d'Olonne; in 1913 he settled at Antibes and stayed several years; in 1919 we find him at Sallanches, and from 1921 till his death in 1935, he seems to have visited and painted in practically every part of France as well as the Cotentin, Brittany and La Rochelle. In 1927 Signac brought out a book on Jongkind that contains a 'treatise on watercolour painting', and in the year he died he travelled in Corsica and also went to Barfleur.

Based on Phaidon encyclopedia of Impressionism, Maurice Serullaz, Phaidon, 1978