We had the pleasure of visiting the National Gallery in London at the weekend where we saw Radical Harmony; Helene Kröller-Müller's Neo-Impressionists.
Exhibition of Pointillist Works
The exhibition features Pointillist works by artists such as George Seurat, Paul Signac, Anna Boch, Jan Toorop and Henri-Edmond Cross and more. Neo-Impressionists painted in small dots of pure colour, ruffling many feathers in the artistic world at the time. Viewed from a distance, the colours blend to create nuanced tones and an illusion of light. Now known as pointillism, this technique simplified form and played with colour in an entirely new way, verging on the edge of abstraction.
Recognition of Vincent van Gogh
Helene Kröller-Müller, who was born into a wealthy German industrialist family, was one of the first great women art patrons of the 20th century. She assembled the most comprehensive ensemble of Neo-Impressionist paintings in the world. Collected for public accessibility, these works now form part of the Kröller-Müller Museum in the Netherlands. She is credited as being one of the first collectors to recognise the genius of Vincent Van Gogh, and collected around 11,500 works of neo-impressionist art in her lifetime, many bought directly from the artist.
Her entire collection was eventually sold to the Dutch government, along with her and her husband, Anton Kröller's, large forested country estate.
Photographs from the Exhibition
Taking a Closer Look
It was fabulous to see so many pointillist works on display in the exhibition. For a change, rather than getting back from the pictures to appreciate them, I went in close, just to see how all the little dots came together to create such marvellous artworks. How long each painting must have taken to complete is mind-boggling.
An attendant in one of the rooms was keen to point out a painting by Anna Boch, the only woman artist represented in the exhibition. Other artists featured were Maximilien Luce, Camille Pissarro, Theo Van Rysselberghe and more.
How to see Helene Kröller-Müller's Neo-Impressionists
Radical Harmony Helene Kröller-Müller's Neo-Impressionists is on at the National Gallery in London until 8th February 2026, or you can visit the Kröller-Müller Museum in the Netherlands
Pictures to Download
Pointillism Collection - 50 Images
Rysselberghe, Theo Van (1862-1926) - Maria Sèthe, the late Mrs Henry Van de Velde 1891
Signac, Paul (1863-1935) - The Dining Room (Breakfast) 1886-7
Georges Seurat 46 High Resolution Images
Camille Pissarro 90 High Resolution Images
Luce, Maximilien (1858-1941) - Notre-Dame 1900-01