Port-en-Bessin, the Semaphore and Cliffs 1888

Georges Seurat made this painting of Port-en-Bessin using oil paint applied in a revolutionary way. Look closely, and you’ll see that the image isn’t composed of brushstrokes in the conventional sense. Instead, Seurat built it up dot by dot, in a technique called pointillism. This wasn’t just a stylistic choice; it was based on a scientific theory about how the eye perceives color. Seurat thought that by placing tiny dots of pure pigment next to each other, he could create a more vibrant effect than by mixing the colors on a palette. Consider how labor intensive this must have been. Each tiny dab of paint meticulously applied, building up the image through countless hours of focused work. In a way, the painting mirrors the industrial processes that were transforming society at the time, where complex products were assembled from many small, repetitive actions. The sheer amount of work embedded in this painting is critical to its meaning, a testament to the artist's dedication, and a reflection on the changing nature of labor itself.