George Seurat's masterpiece A Sunday on La Grande Jatte - 1884 is among the most recognizable and frequently reproduced paintings in the world. First exhibited in 1886, it was a visual manifesto that quickly became a landmark in the development of modern painting.
This fold-out guide explores Seurat's masterpiece, focusing on the development of the figures who populate the island setting. The artist created almost 60 painted and drawn studies for La Grande Jatte; the way he toyed with the placement, identities, and appearance of his characters forms a delightful narrative. The preparatory studies, some of which were never used in the final composition, attest to the artist's ambitions for his self-conscious masterpiece - Seurat wanted to produce images of modern life that would be as powerful and permanent as the pictures in the Louvre. Also examined is Seurat's famous "pointillist" technique, employed in La Grande Jatte and further developed in his later paintings. Taking you inside the development and significance of Seurat's most famous work, this book gives a fresh new perspective on an icon.