Mar 13, 2011

Georges Seurat 1859-1891

Born in 1859, Georges-Pierre Seurat grew up in a wealthy family in Paris, France. He later studied art with Justin Lequien, a sculptor. After a brief stint at a Military Academy, he returned to his art in 1880. After being rejected by the Paris Salon, a French institution of art patronage that exhibited the work of unknown artists, he studied with independent artists who shared his ideas for creativity. He became friends with Paul Signac. Together they developed the pointillist style of painting. Pointilism is when you use dots to paint rather than brush strokes. It’s very time consuming but the style produces beautiful and unique paintings. In the Summer of 1884, he started working on his masterpiece, “Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grand Jatte”. The 10 foot long painting took him 2 years to complete. The painting is now located at the Art Institute of Chicago.


Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grand Jatte

Seurat died in 1891 at the age of 31. It is belived that he probably died from diphtheria. He left behind a wife and a young son, Pierre Georges.

Painting by Seurat’s Friend, Paul Signac “Felix Feneon”

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