A Sunday On La Pete Jatte By Georges Seurat
Georges Seurat’s most commemorated painting, A Sunday on La Grande Jatte-1884, deemed him the father of Pointillism and Neo-Impressionism. As a French post-impressionist artist, he was noted for his innovative style and painting techniques. Seurat’s artistic personality was very disparate when compared to his counterparts of the post-impressionist era. Other artists of that time period, such as Paul Cézanne or Henri Rousseau painted what may be considered more traditional art at that time, using the set standard of blending colors on canvas, rather than through optical illusions. Georges Seurat possessed qualities that were usually deemed incompatible with the creativity needed in art. Seurat never rigidly followed any of the popular theories.
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He bore an attitude towards art that was logically abstract, and somewhat mathematical or scientific. Fascinated by the color theories of scientists Michel Eugène Chevreul and Ogden Rood, Seurat strived to develop the theoretical foundations of divisionism. Also known as Chromoluminarism, divisionism can be defined as the separation colors into patches that interacted optically. Seurat viewed his artwork as a division of concrete science, rather than an inventive enlightenment, “Some say they see poetry in my paintings… I see only science" (Seurat).
Georges Seurat felt the need to incorporate the concepts of the art done by early civilizations.
Many people believe that Seurat modified the aspects found in ancient art. Rather than appreciating the groundbreaking approach of mixing new techniques with antique values, art critics of that time abhorred it. They reasoned that the piece was too mathematical, stating the painting did not contain the creativity and expression needed in an effective work of art. What critics at that time did not understand was the notion that the placement of the figures aided in his objective of cementing Parisian culture for future generations to see. Georges Seurat was able to successfully capture the lifestyle and people of 19th century Paris by adapting the designs used by ancient egyptians and phoenicians in order to immortalize their own citizens. At first glance the setting appears relatively ordinary, nothing more than a scene of Parisians relaxing on a Sunday afternoon. Upon closer inspection, one can see the diversity amongst the people in the painting. The painting does not focus on one specific group. All social classes are included, from the bourgeois to the upper class, along with children, soldiers, and sailors. Even though the painting has a mixed variety of citizens, it is still strangely formal. The figures, including the animals, are mostly seen in a frontal or profile position. Many criticized Seurat’s positioning, negatively comparing it to that of toy soldiers. By having the people in the artwork in a profile position, Seurat was able to mimic the paintings and reliefs seen in Egyptian and other ancient art. The excavations of Egyptian artifacts unearthed historical pieces that allowed us to step into ancient Egypt. The careful preservation of their art allowed for us to understand their way of life, their culture, and their beliefs. Each art piece told a story. Seurat was able to memorialize Parisian life by adapting the style Egyptians used to monumentalize
their own.
The artwork draws the audience in because of its ability to morph the assemblage’s perspective and understanding. The painting can be interpreted in different ways based on the onlooker’s mindset and literal position. Pointillism is a technique used in the art of creating neo-impressionist art work, it uses tiny dots of various pure colors, which blend in the eyes of the viewer. In A Sunday on La Grande Jatte-1884, Seurat uses a collection of complementary colors, such as red and green, in order to create a myriad of activity for the spectator’s eyes. The umbrella held by the woman in the center of the canvas, when observed from a distance is a deep red, which is seen against the vivid green hues in the leaves of the trees. The skirt of the woman fishing appears orange, and is accentuated against the complementary color, the blue pigments of the water. He had a strong desire to avoid depicting only the apparent colors of objects, instead, he focused on trying to capture all the colors that interacted to produce the object’s appearance.
When viewed from a distance, the pointillism technique constructs a bright and luminous array of colors, being paired with Seurat’s careful attention to detail, a meticulous arrangement of shades and tints are formed is formed. Inspected at a close proximity, the painting can seem disjointed and the dots may present themselves in an unintentional cluster. These circumstances almost mirror the process Seurat used when developing this piece. Every detail of the artwork was carefully planned and executed. He sketched numerous preliminary drawings, sitting in the park and analyzing the various figures, and studying the light and color around him, in order to perfect the figures’ form. He then gathered all the individual aspects of Parisian life that he observed, and constructed a painting that captured the Paris of his lifetime. If each figure was painted by itself, the reaction would be similar to that of a closeup of the individual dots, interesting, yet somewhat redundant. When the figures are arranged in the park they form a sense of completion and harmony, illustrating the same mood that was evoked when viewing the artwork from a more extended range. Seurat constructed a piece that canonized the landscape and people of his community.
Georges Seurat believed that true modern art would present contemporary life in ways that were similar to ancient art, but would also use modernized techniques and advancements to further strengthen its effectiveness. By shying away from the theories that were popular in his time, he opened a door for new and innovative outlooks towards art. His piece, A Sunday on La Grande Jatte-1884, served as a manifesto painting. His development of pointillism allowed the audience to understand the importance of viewing every aspect of life in different ways. Pointillism epitomizes the fact that life must be looked at in a more grand perspective, rather than in a narrow minded way. Not only did Georges Seurat’s work cement his reputation as an artist, he also established his era, creating a work of art that will forever serve as a learning tool for future generations.
He bore an attitude towards art that was logically abstract, and somewhat mathematical or scientific. Fascinated by the color theories of scientists Michel Eugène Chevreul and Ogden Rood, Seurat strived to develop the theoretical foundations of divisionism. Also known as Chromoluminarism, divisionism can be defined as the separation colors into patches that interacted optically. Seurat viewed his artwork as a division of concrete science, rather than an inventive enlightenment, “Some say they see poetry in my paintings… I see only science" (Seurat).
Georges Seurat felt the need to incorporate the concepts of the art done by early civilizations.
Many people believe that Seurat modified the aspects found in ancient art. Rather than appreciating the groundbreaking approach of mixing new techniques with antique values, art critics of that time abhorred it. They reasoned that the piece was too mathematical, stating the painting did not contain the creativity and expression needed in an effective work of art. What critics at that time did not understand was the notion that the placement of the figures aided in his objective of cementing Parisian culture for future generations to see. Georges Seurat was able to successfully capture the lifestyle and people of 19th century Paris by adapting the designs used by ancient egyptians and phoenicians in order to immortalize their own citizens. At first glance the setting appears relatively ordinary, nothing more than a scene of Parisians relaxing on a Sunday afternoon. Upon closer inspection, one can see the diversity amongst the people in the painting. The painting does not focus on one specific group. All social classes are included, from the bourgeois to the upper class, along with children, soldiers, and sailors. Even though the painting has a mixed variety of citizens, it is still strangely formal. The figures, including the animals, are mostly seen in a frontal or profile position. Many criticized Seurat’s positioning, negatively comparing it to that of toy soldiers. By having the people in the artwork in a profile position, Seurat was able to mimic the paintings and reliefs seen in Egyptian and other ancient art. The excavations of Egyptian artifacts unearthed historical pieces that allowed us to step into ancient Egypt. The careful preservation of their art allowed for us to understand their way of life, their culture, and their beliefs. Each art piece told a story. Seurat was able to memorialize Parisian life by adapting the style Egyptians used to monumentalize
their own.
The artwork draws the audience in because of its ability to morph the assemblage’s perspective and understanding. The painting can be interpreted in different ways based on the onlooker’s mindset and literal position. Pointillism is a technique used in the art of creating neo-impressionist art work, it uses tiny dots of various pure colors, which blend in the eyes of the viewer. In A Sunday on La Grande Jatte-1884, Seurat uses a collection of complementary colors, such as red and green, in order to create a myriad of activity for the spectator’s eyes. The umbrella held by the woman in the center of the canvas, when observed from a distance is a deep red, which is seen against the vivid green hues in the leaves of the trees. The skirt of the woman fishing appears orange, and is accentuated against the complementary color, the blue pigments of the water. He had a strong desire to avoid depicting only the apparent colors of objects, instead, he focused on trying to capture all the colors that interacted to produce the object’s appearance.
When viewed from a distance, the pointillism technique constructs a bright and luminous array of colors, being paired with Seurat’s careful attention to detail, a meticulous arrangement of shades and tints are formed is formed. Inspected at a close proximity, the painting can seem disjointed and the dots may present themselves in an unintentional cluster. These circumstances almost mirror the process Seurat used when developing this piece. Every detail of the artwork was carefully planned and executed. He sketched numerous preliminary drawings, sitting in the park and analyzing the various figures, and studying the light and color around him, in order to perfect the figures’ form. He then gathered all the individual aspects of Parisian life that he observed, and constructed a painting that captured the Paris of his lifetime. If each figure was painted by itself, the reaction would be similar to that of a closeup of the individual dots, interesting, yet somewhat redundant. When the figures are arranged in the park they form a sense of completion and harmony, illustrating the same mood that was evoked when viewing the artwork from a more extended range. Seurat constructed a piece that canonized the landscape and people of his community.
Georges Seurat believed that true modern art would present contemporary life in ways that were similar to ancient art, but would also use modernized techniques and advancements to further strengthen its effectiveness. By shying away from the theories that were popular in his time, he opened a door for new and innovative outlooks towards art. His piece, A Sunday on La Grande Jatte-1884, served as a manifesto painting. His development of pointillism allowed the audience to understand the importance of viewing every aspect of life in different ways. Pointillism epitomizes the fact that life must be looked at in a more grand perspective, rather than in a narrow minded way. Not only did Georges Seurat’s work cement his reputation as an artist, he also established his era, creating a work of art that will forever serve as a learning tool for future generations.