Seurat, Georges Pierre

Born Dec. 2, 1859, in Paris; died there Mar. 29, 1891. French painter and graphic artist, the founder and leader of neo-impressionism (divisionism, pointil-lism).

Seurat studied at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris in 1878 and 1879. He painted landscapes and large figure compositions. Studying optical effects and the laws of color and light, Seurat sought a scientific basis for the solution of problems of color, atmosphere, and space. His paintings are noted for refinement of line and subtlety of color combinations; their mosaic-like fragmented structure tends to impart a cerebral and abstract quality (Une Dimanche d’été à la Grand Jatte, 1884–86, Art Institute, Chicago). Seurat showed an attraction to the dimensions and artistic possibilities of mural painting, especially in his later works, which are stylistically close to art nouveau (The Circus, 1890–91, Museum of Impressionism, Paris).