The scene in the theater 

Georges Seurat made this drawing of a theater scene using conté crayon on paper. It's a humble material, especially compared to the spectacle he depicts. Look closely, and you'll notice the drawing is built up from a dense network of tiny strokes. With this method, Seurat coaxes a full range of tones and textures from the crayon. The figures emerge from the darkness like apparitions. The effect mirrors the fleeting nature of a performance. Seurat was fascinated by how light and color could be broken down and rebuilt on the canvas. This drawing, though monochrome, anticipates his later pointillist paintings. The marks, built up with immense labor, reflect the social context of the work, during the rise of industrial capitalism in France. The drawing acknowledges the intense labor involved in the production process and the energy of urban life, which is reflected in the image. It is a reminder that what an artwork is made of is as important as what it depicts.