Definition:
Neo-Impressionism was a painting movement which evolved in France the 1880s from Impressionism, characterized by the use of pointillism and strict, formal composition.
The French painter Georges Seurat (1859-91) is regarded as the leader of this movement. Other prominent members included Paul Signac and, for a while, Camille Pissarro.
At the time the name was adopted, the Impressionists were still struggling for recognition themselves. Signac said the name was used "not to curry favor ... but to pay homage to the efforts of the older generation [Monet, Renoir, etc.] and to emphasize that while procedures varied, the ends were the same: light and color."1
References: 1.The History of Impressionism by John Rewald, p398.
