Georges Seurat

Georges Seurat (1859–1891) was a French painter, born and died in Paris, who founded Neo-Impressionism and developed the technique known as pointillism. He studied at the École des Beaux-Arts from 1878 and was drawn to colour theory, building images from small separate dots of colour meant to mix in the viewer's eye. His first large painting, Bathers at Asnières (1883–84), was followed by his best-known work, A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte (1884–86), which took him about two years. Later works include Models, The Eiffel Tower of 1889, The Channel of Gravelines and the unfinished The Circus. Seurat also left a large body of fine drawings in conté crayon, in which tone and texture matter more than line. In 1884 he was among the founders of the Société des Artistes Indépendants. He died suddenly in March 1891, aged 31, and the cause is still uncertain. Paul Signac carried on his approach.