Georges Pierre Seurat Research Paper

Josh Kanger
Art 129-LS1
J. Stevenson
May 14, 2011
The Skeptical Science of Georges Seurat Georges Pierre Seurat was born on December 2, 1859 in the fast growing city of Paris, France. Georges Seurat was the “non-conformist” of his day; it was he who decided to move away from Impressionism, and find his own style of expressing his art. Seurat’s art career only is crammed in just a dozen years, but the beautiful artwork he has created goes to show that he is a true master of his time (Courthion, 9). In the early years of Seurat’s life, he grew up at 100, Boulevard Magenta in Paris. His father, Antoine-Chrisostôme Seurat was an indifferent man from Champagne, and worked as a property owner. Seurat’s mother, Ernestine Faivre, was a stay
His search ended up discovering the art of Pointillism, a painting style which shows colors the way they really are. He strived for something new as he once said, “Originality depends only on the character of the drawing and the vision peculiar to each artist.”Colors blend in so harmoniously, and they do not mix and get dulled with each other. For a while, people would argue over Seurat’s style; some people thought of Pointillism as an effortless work of art, and other art enthusiasts believed George Seurat could capture harmony and emotion the same way one will capture it with music. Heilbrunn once quoted “Neo-Impressionists came to believe that separate touches of interwoven pigments result in a greater vibrancy of color in the observer’s eye than is achieved by the conventional mixing of pigments on a pallet.” Seurat created over 500 pieces of artwork, and the few which he is famous for use the technique known as Pointillism. George Seurat’s powerful presence as the leader of Neo-Impressionism resonated among artist for decades to come. Paul Signac quotes on Georges Seurat
Every line and a dot of color make his paintings not only unique, but it gives them something special. The way the movements flow and how harmony roams free. It’s not just a Pointillism painting, it’s skeptical science. According to Seurat himself, “Painting is the art of hollowing a surface.” This means that when Georges Seurat paints, he does it to distinguish a theme found in life. The colors and lines that Georges Seurat uses give an ambiance which describes the painting, and the theme it’s describing. Georges Seurat once wrote in a letter, “I know very well that a line, independent of its representational role, has an appraisable abstract value.” Everything in Georges Seurat’s paintings is there for a reason. Each object fits another proportionally one way or another. The way Seurat played with color theories and the way he involves science in his painting demonstrates how an artist can show scientific skepticism in art. Georges Seurat combines art and science in his works proportionally as one would think impossible. Even though Georges Seurat is not really a scientist, the way he worked colors and lines is a milestone when art converged with science. Georges Seurat didn’t just paint for a pretty picture. Seurat wanted to give the audience the understanding that life is full of meanings, and it can come from just about anywhere or