Art Guide · Painters
Georges Seurat
1859–1891
Georges Seurat (1859–1891) was the French painter who founded pointillism, building pictures from small dots of pure colour. His most famous work is A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte.
Last updated: · Iconica Society editors
Life
Born into a well-off Paris family, he trained at the École des Beaux-Arts and studied scientific writing on colour theory and optics. Showing La Grande Jatte at the last Impressionist exhibition in 1886, he launched Neo-Impressionism. He died suddenly of an illness in 1891, aged only 31.
Style and key works
Instead of mixing colours on the palette, Seurat placed small dots side by side so the mixing happens in the viewer’s eye. La Grande Jatte (1884–86), which took about two years, shows Parisians relaxing on an island in the Seine in a still, almost geometric order; it is now in the Art Institute of Chicago.
Key works
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Frequently asked questions
What is pointillism?
A technique in which small dots of pure colour are placed side by side so they blend in the eye from a distance, developed by Seurat and Paul Signac.
How big is La Grande Jatte?
About 2 × 3 metres; its size heightens the effect of the dotted surface.