In 1884, artist Georges Seurat depicted a
picture of people lounging at a suburban park on a Sunday Afternoon. This
famous work of art has since been recognized as one of the first works of
"pointillism". In these paintings, artists apply small dots of color
to form an image. Seurat used the technique of "optimal mixture", to
show the thoughtfulness of a Sunday after noon. Specifically, he illustrates
the differences in class in Paris at the end of the 19th century.
By putting many colors together, Seurat is
able to show how the many colors in this scene are a reflection of the
differences between the lower class and upper class lounging. For example, the
man with the pipe is much lighter than the couple next to him. What seems to be
the couple's pet dog is also very dark compared two nearby wild animals.
Seurat's use of contrasting colors illustrates the drastic differences in
society at this time. He also draws a shadow by using darker shades against
lighter shades. This is significant in that it shows how the light and dark are
not so far apart from each other, suggesting that these lines may be coming
closer together over time.
Seurat is persuasive in his argument that
the barriers between the upper class and working class are becoming less
prominent. The setting of “La Grande Jette” was known to be a place where both
the rich and poor spent their Sunday afternoon, making it crucial for Seurat’s
purpose to be demonstrated. Seurat as an artist is able to communicate a deeper
message through his use of color and light. His style of painting was widely
controversial for his time; maybe the same way his views on society may have
been. This painting deserves its popularity, as it exemplifies a universal
theme of differences in class.
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