The Models

Georges Seurat painted three models (or perhaps one model in three poses) in various states of undress within his studio. In the background hangs his monumental "A Sunday Afternoon on La Grande Jatte," creating a painting-within-a-painting that contrasts the clothed leisure of the park with the studio's intimate nudity.

The work represents Seurat's response to critics who claimed his pointillist technique couldn't handle the subtleties of human flesh. The figures demonstrate notable tonal gradation achieved entirely through tiny dots of color. The classical poses reference academic tradition while the technique remained radically modern.

The painting resides at the Barnes Foundation in Philadelphia, alongside their extraordinary collection of Post-Impressionist works.