Georges Seurat
French·1859–1891
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Post-Impressionist pioneer Georges Seurat (1859-1891) invented Pointillism, a revolutionary technique applying tiny dots of pure color that blend optically when viewed from a distance. His monumental Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte (1884-1886) took nearly two years to complete and altered the course of modern art. Seurat combined scientific color theory with classical composition, creating structured alternatives to Impressionism's spontaneity.
Seurat studied at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts under Henri Lehmann before leaving due to frustration with academic methods. He spent a year on military service at Brest, then returned to Paris to develop his theories. His first major work, Bathers at Asnieres (1883-84), established his approach. When La Grande Jatte appeared at the 1886 Impressionist exhibition, critic Felix Feneon coined the term "Neo-Impressionism." Seurat died mysteriously at just 31, possibly of meningitis, leaving The Circus unfinished. La Grande Jatte hangs at the Art Institute of Chicago, while Bathers is at the National Gallery in London.
