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Post-Impressionism

Georges Seurat

Georges Seurat (1859–1891) invented Pointillism, building luminous images from countless tiny dots of pure colour. His monumental A Sunday on La Grande Jatte is the manifesto of this scientific approach to painting.

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1859–1891 · French Post-Impressionist painter

Seurat brought optical science into art; his methodical dot technique influenced everyone from the Fauves to modern design.

From the artist's life

Seurat spent about two years and made dozens of studies for La Grande Jatte — then died of illness at just 31.

Source: Wikipedia / Wikimedia
Portrait of Georges Seurat
Portrait: Wikimedia Commons / Wikipedia.
  • Invented Pointillism, composing pictures from tiny dots that blend in the eye.
  • Based his method on contemporary theories of colour and optics.
  • Died at only 31, leaving a small but revolutionary body of work.
Post-Impressionismpainterpaintingmuseum route
Georges Seurat, A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte

Key works

Where to start

Complete list of key works

Works with a dedicated ArtAtlas page are highlighted in gold.

List checked against Wikidata
  • A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande JatteOn ArtAtlas
  • Bathers at AsnièresListed for reference
  • The CircusListed for reference
  • The ModelsListed for reference
  • Young Woman Powdering HerselfListed for reference
  • Le ChahutListed for reference
  • The Eiffel TowerListed for reference
  • The Channel of Gravelines, Petit Fort PhilippeListed for reference
  • BanlieueListed for reference
  • Bridge of CourbevoieListed for reference
  • The Forest at PontaubertListed for reference

1884

A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte

A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte was painted from 1884 to 1886 and is Georges Seurat's most famous work. It is recognised as a leading example of pointillist technique and as a founding work of the neo-impressionist movement.