Port-en-Bessin 1888

Georges Seurat painted this coastal view using oil on canvas, sometime in the late 19th century. His meticulous method involved applying countless tiny dots of pure color, a technique known as Pointillism. Look closely, and you'll see how the overall image emerges from this painstaking process, as the viewer's eye blends the individual strokes into a unified scene. This approach wasn't just about aesthetics; it was rooted in scientific theories of color and perception. Seurat sought to achieve a new level of optical brilliance, pushing the boundaries of traditional painting. The labor-intensive nature of Pointillism is also significant. It required immense patience and discipline, a stark contrast to the spontaneity often associated with Impressionism. In a way, Seurat's method mirrors the repetitive, disciplined work of industrial labor, which was becoming increasingly prevalent in his time. So, when we consider Port-en-Bessin, remember that it's not just a pretty picture. It's the result of a deliberate, almost mechanical process, reflecting broader social and economic shifts in 19th-century France, challenging our conventional ideas of artistic skill.