Lecture Notes: Seurat and the Science of Painting

Introduction

• The lecture takes place at the Art Institute of Chicago.
• Focus on Georges Seurat's painting "Sunday Afternoon on the Isle of Grande Jatte."
• Seurat aimed to bring science to impressionism.

Seurat's Scientific Approach

• Seurat's quote: "Some say they see poetry in my paintings, I see only science."
• His ambition was to apply scientific methods to impressionist techniques.
• He aimed to make paintings more luminous and brighter through scientific methods.

Science of Vision and Color

• Influenced by Chevreul and Rood in the science of color.
• Seurat divided color into components instead of mixing on a palette.
• Optical Mixture: Placing colors side by side so the eye mixes them.
  • This technique enhances luminosity and brightness.

Neo-Impressionism

• Seurat’s method termed "neo-impressionism."
• Different from traditional impressionism:
  • Not painted plein air; composed in studio.
  • Figures have solemnity akin to classical sculptures.

Composition and Structure

• Careful, structured organization of figures and space.
• Incorporates classic landscape techniques (e.g., receding diagonal lines for space).
• Tension between pictorial space and surface texture.

Detailed Analysis

• Close examination of figures (e.g., man with pipe):
  • Use of long strokes and small points of color.
  • Clear contours and form defined by line.
  • Figure seems three-dimensional, unlike typical impressionism.

Social Commentary and Class

• Painting reflects class ambiguities in 19th-century Paris.
• Venue frequented by middle/upper classes; contrasts with working class across the river.
• Seurat challenges expectations of clear narratives and class depictions.

Reception and Impact

• First exhibited in 1886, causing controversy.
• Divided artists into supporting or detracting camps.
• Seurat transformed the most advanced art of the period by turning impressionism on its head.
  • Created serious, monumental, and classical works.

Conclusion

• Seurat’s work represented a significant evolution in art.
• His techniques continue to influence and challenge perceptions of art and science.