White Houses, Ville d'Avray 1882

Georges Seurat made this painting of white houses in oil on canvas. The location is Ville d'Avray, outside Paris. It is thought to be his first landscape painting, made during the 1880s when France was experiencing major social change and the rise of industrialization. The white houses in the image create a sense of order and tranquility. However, the artist’s pointillist technique creates a feeling of fragmentation and instability. What is the public role of art, we might ask, when its forms and meanings are so unstable? Seurat was interested in the science of color and optics, as can be seen in his innovative painting style. Yet we should also acknowledge that he was working at a time when the institutions of art were becoming more scientific and professionalized. To better understand art’s meaning, we can consider the social and institutional contexts in which it was produced and exhibited. This kind of art historical research is necessary to interpret and appreciate art more fully.