Seurat's A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte, 1884-86
| Georges Seurat and the Technique of Pointillism |
Seurat's A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte, 1884-86 |
| Pointillism refers to a specific technique of
brushwork and color arrangement that was originally developed by the
late-impressionist painter, Georges Seurat. This technique consists of
using tiny, dabbing brushstrokes, or dots of pigment, instead of the
variable, short brushstrokes which are more characteristic of mainstream
impressionist painting. Furthermore, pointillism entails the pointed
juxtaposition of colors on the canvas. In contrast to the established
impressionistic method of mixing colors directly on the canvas (rather
than on a palette), Seurat placed his tiny points of unmixed color so
close to each other that they would seem to mix and blend when the
painting was viewed from the proper distance. There is a certain optical
special-effect achieved through this technique. By virtue of this
special-effect, Seurat's figures and landscapes seem to shimmer with a
play of moving lights, colors, and shadows. The surface of his canvases
is accordingly vibrant, and seemingly alive with vibrational energy and
movement. The paintings thus present the viewer who stands before them
with a new kind of visual challenge. The viewer is accordingly called
upon to process and reassemble all of the points of pigment on the
canvas. He or she must also resolve the juxtapositions of isolated color
into new composite shades. Finally, the viewer is implicitly asked to
register and reflect upon the fleeting impressions of color and light
which appear to be set in motion thanks to the optical illusion fostered
by the pointillist technique. While it is undoubtedly true that Monet
first introduced impressionistic lighting to the painting of this
period, it was certainly Seurat who taught this new kind of light to
dance upon the canvas. |