The Lighthouse at Honfleur 1886

Georges Seurat made 'The Lighthouse at Honfleur' with oil paint using a technique called pointillism. This involved applying countless tiny dots of pure color, which blend in the viewer’s eye to create the overall image. Seurat's method is fascinating when considered alongside the industrialization of the 19th century. It mirrors the mass production of goods, where individual, uniform components come together to form a larger product. Think of printed images, made up of tiny dots of ink—Seurat adopted a similar logic, but painstakingly applied by hand. The result is a canvas that shimmers with light, the texture of labor visible on its surface. It takes significant time and effort to complete a painting in this style. By embracing this laborious process, Seurat elevated it to fine art. He challenged the traditional hierarchy between craft and art, suggesting that the value of an artwork lies not only in its subject but also in the skill and time invested in its creation.