The story of A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte begins in the 1880s as the world was experiencing an era of change. France had begun to experience the damage of the Long Recession, monumental inventions were created, and new forms of art were on the rise. These events included the invention of the bicycle, the start of Coca Cola, Jewish refugees flooding in from Russia, operas such as Manon gained popularity, and the building of the Statue of Liberty. These events were changing people’s everyday life’s and the post-impressionist artists sought to capture these adjustments in their art.
Post-Impressionist art focus highly on the emotional, mental and
spiritual side of life. Many artists used bright bold colors, not as highly detailed figures, and a feeling of movement and freedom within the brushstrokes and placement of the painting. Artists of this movement felt that the best way to adapt to the change in society was to come to terms with one’s inner self. Once that was accomplished, then the physical world would fall in place and make more sense. Post- Impressionism valued the wholesome wonder of a world in a way that they felt Impressionism failed to do.
A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grade Jatte was a pointillism work by a Frenchman by the name of Georges Seurat. His painting depicted a realistic scene of a typical Sunday afternoon at a park in Paris. Seurat sought to display his love and appreciation of the city through this art piece. He used strong natural colors in his landscape to create a genuine, pleasant and satisfied feeling in the viewer. Using pointillism created the assumption of different standards of sophistication within the picture. This is enhanced by Seurat’s inclusion of people of all walks of life in the painting. While creating a realistic depiction of Paris, A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte succeeds in celebrating the emotion and unique mindset of the diverse people that lived there.