Seine at Grande Jatte

Although his work was originally scorned, the founder of the Neo-Impressionist movement of the late 19th century, Georges Seurat (1859-1891) is considered one of France’s great master artists. Creating a groundbreaking but incredibly time intensive style called Pointillism, Seurat rejected broad brushstrokes of mixed color, substituting tiny points of pure color which the observer’s eye blended in to images. Utilizing elaborate, scientifically devised linear structures and geometric order, Seurat’s style is somewhat akin to that of Rembrandt in his experimentation with color theories and linear structures. After Seurat’s art was rejected by the Salon, he joined with other artists to found the Society for Independent Artists to exhibit their works.