Study of Figures for "La Grande Jatte"

The Study of Figures for "La Grande Jatte" by Georges Seurat is an essential oil on wood sketch created between 1884 and 1885. This small-scale painting belongs to the comprehensive series of preparatory studies Seurat undertook before executing his monumental canvas, A Sunday on La Grande Jatte-1884. Seurat’s working method was meticulously structured, requiring dozens of separate investigations into pose, lighting, and color before the final artwork could be initiated. The use of a panel (wood) instead of canvas allowed the artist to capture quick impressions of light and movement.

Produced during the critical artistic period spanning 1876 to 1900, this French work exemplifies the nascent stage of Seurat’s revolutionary style, known as Divisionism or Pointillism. While the study does not yet display the strict, scientifically applied dots found in the finished masterwork, it utilizes a broken brushstroke and controlled color mixing to model light and shadow upon the figures. The figures depicted are anonymous Parisians, captured during moments of modern leisure along the Seine. The work captures the social atmosphere central to late 19th-century urban life.

Seurat focused intensely on structure and geometric relationships even in these quick sketches, demonstrating his calculated move away from the spontaneous brushwork favored by Impressionists. This piece is significant in charting the intellectual and visual evolution leading to one of modern art's most iconic images. The painting resides in the permanent collection of the National Gallery of Art. Due to the historical nature of many such works, high-quality prints derived from the original images are often available through public domain resources, allowing broader access to Seurat’s pioneering studies and sketches.