Les Îles d'Or

early 1880s

Trouble with his eyes begins

In the early 1880s he begins to have trouble with his eyes, which grows severe by the 1900s; he also suffers increasingly from arthritis. Partly because of these long-running illnesses, Cross’s body of work is relatively small.

1891

Turns to Neo-Impressionism

In 1891 he begins painting in the Neo-Impressionist style and shows his first large piece in this technique at an Indépendants exhibition — a divisionist portrait of Madame Hector France, née Irma Clare.

1891

Moves to the south of France because of rheumatism

Having wintered in the south for years, he moves there for good in 1891 because of rheumatism. He lives first in Cabasson near Le Lavandou, then settles nearby in the small hamlet of Saint-Clair, where he stays for the rest of his life, leaving only for Italy and for the annual Indépendants exhibitions in Paris.

1893

Married: Irma Clare

c. 1895

Moves from Pointillism to a mosaic-like brushstroke

From about 1895 he gradually changes his technique: instead of tiny dots, broad blocky brushstrokes with small areas of bare canvas left between them. The surfaces resemble mosaics, and such paintings are seen as precursors of Fauvism and Cubism.

1898

The first Neo-Impressionist exhibition in Germany

In 1898, together with Signac, Maximilien Luce and Théo van Rysselberghe, he takes part in the first Neo-Impressionist exhibition in Germany, organized by Harry Kessler at the Keller und Reiner Gallery.