Georges Seurat pioneered many of the techniques used in Pointillism, which eventually highly impacted the Post-Impressionist movement. Seurat derives much of his inspiration from Ancient Egypt art to the Italian Renaissance frescos. Growing up, he was exposed to the works of Raphael and Poussin, which greatly impacted his work in later years.
Seurat was highly proficient and interested in learning theory. In fact, he used quasi-scientific theories to help further his knowledge about colors and expression. He eventually discovered that mixing complementary colors can achieve vivid tones if optically mixed. This extraordinary yet brilliant technique was further praised by fellow artist Camille Pissarro, saying his color work was a “new phase in the logical march of Impressionism.”
His most famous painting, A Sunday Afternoon on the Grande Jatte, was completed within 2 years. Seurat visited the Grande Jatte multiple times, each time creating a new sketch and observation of the people and overall surroundings. Interestingly enough, critics originally disliked his painting. Over the following decades, many have come to realize his painting was more than just a landscape, but rather a social commentary, and a true representation of his personality, technique, and composition.
Sources
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omHaPvcse-s&ab_channel=ArtHistorySchool
Angelica,
Not bad work on Seurat here! You have solid information but what I would like to see more of is some of your own personal thoughts about the artist. What was it that resonated with you, what initially drew you to his work? That sort of thing. Anyhow I’ll give you a 2/2 here. Also you scored 42/50 on your mid term quiz which translates to an A- so excellent job?
Jeff