The painting Fishing in Spring provides evidence of Paul Signac and Vincent van Gogh's friendship. At the final Impressionist exhibition in the spring of 1886, Van Gogh had seen artwork by Signac and Georges Seurat. Signac was a powerful advocate for Seurat's avant-garde Neo-Impressionism, describing it as a logical progression from Impressionism. Van Gogh's subject matter broadened, his brushstrokes got more diverse, and his palette became more vibrant under the influence of Signac.
