3 comments about The Drawings of Georges Seurat.

1. For both study and pleasure these charcoal drawings, mostly landscapes and portraits, show the richness and depth of drawing that can never be equalled in his paintings. He draws from the inside out with very few outlines; rather the soft charcoal merges with the texture of the paper to build mass and volume, so that the viewer sees light and dark, rather than shape and form. The drawings are soft and strong. Beautiful. I hope this book gets back in print.



2. Seurat's laid paper charcoal drawings are some of the most beautiful I've seen. Relatively good reproductions.



3. Seurat's laid paper charcoal drawings are some of the most beautiful I've seen. Relatively good reproductions.

No comments about Neo-Impressionist Painters: A Sourcebook on Georges Seurat, Camille Pissarro, Paul Signac, Theo Van Rysselberghe, Henri Edmond Cross, Charles Angrand, ... Dubois-Pillet (Art Reference Collection).

1 comments about Georges Seurat 1859-1891.

1. This beautiful catalog from an exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 1992 is an excellent anthology of Seurat's work, juxtaposing finished works with sketches, and includes a large selection of sketches as a student. The size allows the works to be displayed in all their glory. If you like Seurat, buy this!

No comments about Seurat: 16 Art Stickers (Fine Art Stickers).

2 comments about Seurat and La Grande Jatte: Connecting the Dots.

1. Robert Burleigh's Seurat And La Grande Jatte is a very different kind of children's picture book -- it is an appreciation of a classic painting, "A Sunday on La Grande Jatte - 1884", which was created with the remarkable art style of pointilism (painting with dots) by the talented and dedicated French artist Seurat. Details and reproductions of this remarkable work (as well as other compositions by Seurat), superbly background the scene it portrays and deftly enhances the narrative musings into the life of the hard-working artist which fill the pages of this marvelous children's book which is especially recommended for talented youngsters who themselves have a flair for art.



2. The author has done a brilliant job crafting a book that appeals to elementary age students. I am an art teacher and used this as my primary resource when introducing Georges Seurat and Pointillism. There is just enough biographical information thrown in to benefit the students, but not so much it bores them. Fantastic examination of the painting and explanation of the process involved in making this piece. Wonderful!

1 comments about Seurat and the Making of <i>La Grande Jatte</i>.

1. "Seurat and the Making of 'La Grande Jatte'" was a major exhibition at the Art Institute of Chicago from June 19 to September 19, 2004 in Regenstein Hall. Even before it inspired the Stephen Sondheim musical "Sunday in the Park with George" or became a stopping point for the kids playing hooky in "Ferris Bueller's Day Off," the 1884 painting by Georges Seurat has been one of the most beloved, famous, and frequently reproduced paintings in the world. This year the Art Institute put together the first comprehensive exhibition of La Grande Jatte and its many related drawings and oil paintings, including approximately 130 paintings and other works:
   
   "The exhibition Seurat and the Making of 'La Grande Jatte' seeks to examine a familiar picture afresh and consider why it has so captured the public imagination. By situating La Grande Jatte in the context of Seurat's artistic development, his dialogue with the Impressionists, and the many preparatory studies produced over the two years of its creation, we can arrive at a richer appreciation of its unforgettable appeal-the way it holds in exquisite balance tradition and innovation, a sense of the momentary and of timelessness, wit and solemnity."
   
   Specifically the exhibit brought together about 45 of the artist's paintings and drawings related to the picture-from rich, yet delicate, conté crayon studies to oil sketches on small wood panels to nearly full-size paintings. The exhibition showed some of Seurat's early works and documents the way his choice of subject matter and use of colors changed around 1883-85, the period when he began exploring the modern-life subjects, high-keyed colors, and broken brushwork of Impressionism.
   
   This is the 288-page catalogue for the exhibition in which Seruat scholar Robert L. Herbert examines in depth the relationship between the finished painting and Seurat's preparatory studies, Herbert focuses on the empirical craftsmanship of the artist. That Seurat would be a revolutionary figure in the history of art is rather surprising, but his theory of "divided color" would lead to his distinctive style of pointillism. The exhibition looks not only at Seurat's early work, such as a sketch for "Bathing Place, Asnières" (1883-84) and the studies that he did for this painting, but also the works of Claude Monet, Pierre Auguste Renoir, and Camille Pissarro, that Seurat admired. Then there are works by Paul Signac and Lucien Pissarro, both of whom shared Seurat's interest in the divided-color/pointillist technique and which were featured in the same room at the exhibition that first presented "La Grande Jatte" to the world at the eight Impressionist exhibition in May 1886.
   
   The book also has an essay by cultural historian Neil Harris charts on how "A Sunday on La Grande Jatte" became one of the Art Institute's most famous works (along with Grant Wood's "American Gothic"). Douglas W. Druick (Searle Curator of European Painting and Prince Trust Curator of Prints and Drawings) and Gloria Groom (David and Mary Winton Green Curator of European Painting), the exhibition's co-curators, write about the painting's place in the Art Institute's collection. The essay by Art Institute conservators Frank Zuccari and Allison Langley examines how Seurat transferred and altered figures from the various studies to the final canvas, while Inge Fiedler, conservation microscopist, explains the exact nature of Seurat's pigments and brushwork. Finally, color scientist Roy S. Berns writes about the efforts to digitally recapture the original hues of Seurat's masterpiece, which have been altered over time.
   
   As you would expect, this catalogue is lavishly illustrated, providing ample visual proof of why "La Grande Jatte" was a watershed event in the history of art. Seeing the studies Seruat made for his painting, from the soldier and the woman with the rose colored skirt to the seated woman with the parasol and the iconic woman walking with the monkey, helps readers to understand the arguments made by Herbert and the others. Just because you missed the exhibit in person, is no reason to deny your self this fascinating look at the one of the most famous and important paintings in history.

2 comments about Sunday in the Park with George (Applause Musical Library).

1. This show is like a work of the main Character Georges Seurat. Point and point are putted together to a great piece of art. Stepehn Sondheim who recieved the Pulitzer Prize for this astonishing work of American Musical Theatre puts all the points together to one brilliant composition of story and storytelling his co-author James Lapine who wrote the book while Sondheim wrote the lyrics does a great job, too. It is the most beautiful kind of lyric I ever had seen in this masterpiece: Children and art. I really enjoyed to read this book and it is essentially for everybody who is interested in the Musical Theatre.



2. Sondheim and Lapine wrote an excellent musical about the pointillist painter George Seurat. I really started to love the musical when I read Marc Bauch's "Themes and Topics of the American Musical" (Marburg: Tectum Verlag, 2001. ISBN: 3828811418), which I recommend to get to know how intertextually Sondheim worked. Bauch put Sondheim in the tradition of the American Musical with reference to his themes.

2 comments about Georges Seurat (Getting to Know the World's Greatest Artists).

1. I think that Mike Venezia has finally found a painter whose style he cannot imitate, but can still joke about. Georges-Pierre Seurat was a French painter and the founder of Neoimpressionism, best known for "Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte" (thanks to Ferris Bueller more than Stephen Sondheim, I am sure). If there is one word associated with Seurat's work it would be "pointillism," which has to do with the style he developed of using small dots of pure color juxtaposed together to create a fusion of colors in the mind's eye. So I was thinking that in his Getting to Know the World's Greatest Artists series that Venezia might working is some pointillism in some of his cartoons. But in case you were wondering, pointillism is hard work. So on the front cover of this book while Seurat is working on his famous painting some guy comes along and says "Hey, Seurat, dot's a pretty ice painting" (a joke that I am sure loses something in French). On the back cover cartoon Venezia works himself into Seurat's famous painting with all of the figures turning to look (and glare) at him for intruding on their pleasant afternoon with his lawn chair, loud music, chips, and drinks.
   
   This book provides the key biographical details of Seurat's life, but it is the development of his peculiar painting style that Venezia emphasize more. So the art history lesson here is what young readers will take away from reading this book. There are sixteen drawings and paintings representing the entire course of Seurat's career, along with three studies for "Une Baigndae, Asnieres" to go along with two studies and one detail from "Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte." Their is also a drawn portrait of Seurat by Ernest J. Laurent to go along with works by great artist from the past that Seurat studies at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris by Raphael, Eugene Delacroix, and Jean Auguste Dominique Ingeres, and those by the Impressionist artists Camille Pissarro, Claude Monet, and Pierre Auguste Renoir that inspired Seurat to do better. There are also five of Venezia's cartoons that talk about his artwork and the device Seurat's father made for the arm he lost in a hunting accident to attach knives and forks to the end of his arm.
   
   Venezia is a graduate of The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, which is where "Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte" is on display. The Getting to Know the World's Greatest Artists series is both educational and entertaining, and Venezia always makes good on his promise to use fun to introduce children to art and artists. The pointillism drawings and paintings are surely beyond the skill (and patience) of most of us, but young readers should appreciate the drawings Seurat made to explore the importance of shapes and form done with a smeary graphite-and-clay crayon on bumpy paper, and I think they can understand the basic principle of having tiny dots of different colors next to each other to create a different color when they are blended by the human eye. This is a fascinating series and I am always happy to discover there are volumes about artists that I have missed. Venezia has tackled not only Seurat but also Paul Dezanne, Edward Hopper, Monet, Picasso, Renoir, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Vincent Van Gogh and Grant Wood--and those are just the artists whose works at on display at the Art Institute of Chicago (which I am going to see again this week because that is what I do when I have occasion to drive through Chicago).



2. The fascinating facts of the artist's life are enhanced with comic book style illustrations as well as copies of the artists work. This author takes what could be a very dry subject and makes it entertaining and informative. This book, and the remainder of books in this series, are an obvious resource for an art teacher's library but would make a terrific "outside the box" addition to any classroom teacher's library.

5 comments about Georges Seurat: The Drawings.

1. This is a wonderful book, published to accompany the current exhibition at the MOMA in New York. High-quality illustrations with some close-ups of details (the texture of the paper even gives the reader the impression of holding an actual drawing because it resembles the grainy Michallet paper Seurat used) show how Seurat considered drawing an art form in its own right: some drawings are studies for paintings (The Bathers, The Models, The Grande Jatte...) and others are completely independent works of art. A sensible text helps the reader understand the artist's technique and style and an interesting chapter written by British contemporary artist Bridget Riley explains how her own art was influenced by Seurat's drawings. Highly recommended.



2. Seurat's drawings are amazing. If you don't know them you need this book. If you do know them, you need this book. Seurat's short life makes reading about him and seeing these images a charmed experience. Best to get to MoMA to see the show -- but give yourself a treat and buy this book. Right now.



3. I saw the show at MoMA on November 16, and could not wait to buy this book on Amazon. That was until I looked through the book at the musuem shop. Almost without exception, the reproductions of the drawings do not come close to capturing the wonderful drawings that I just saw. The same is true of the 15 or so painting in the show. Huge disappointment.
   
   The book that does capture the greatness of the drawings and paintings is the catalogue from the 1991 exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum titled
   GEORGE SEURAT 1859-1891 by Robert L. Herbert (available on this site).
   Most of the drawings in the book under review were also in the huge Met
   show.



4. Recently when in NYC I visited the Metropolitan Museum of Modern Art. They were exhibiting drawings and sketches of Seurat. The effects he could get of illumination and movement with just a conti crayon or pencil were unbeliveable. I wanted to get the book that day, but it was heavy to carry around the City and airport. I was delighted to find it on Amazon - and for less money! I am thoroughly enjoying the book. The narrative is especially appreciated.



5. Parisian painter Georges Seurat (1859-1891) is perhaps best known as the founder of Neo-impressionism (Pointillism). His most famous painting, Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte, altered the direction of modern art and is considered an icon of 19th century painting. For two years (1881-82) before working with colors, he devoted himself to mastering the art of black and white drawing in his small, Left Bank studio. I recently attended an exhibition of Seurat's conté drawings at the Museum of Modern Art in NYC. Published by MOMA, this volume of approximately 130 works is the result of that exhibition, and includes some of "the most beautiful painter's drawings in existence." Seurat's drawings of nineteenth-century Parisian subjects are mysterious and mesmerizing in their relationship between light and shadow.
   
   G. Merritt

3 comments about Sunday with Seurat (Mini Masters).

1. I love the fact that these books exist! My daughter is one and is mesmerized by these books. She sits down with them and just looks at them, intently. I love that I can share art with my toddler in a safe and fun way. Otherwise, I'd risk my expensive art books at her little hands. I highly recommend these books, even if you're not a big art fan. The colors alone are great for toddlers!!



2. I am a preschool teacher for 3 year olds. We "study" different artists and paint like them. Seurat is one of the artists that I teach my students about and they paint like him using bingo bottles. This book is excellent for the three year olds. It shows many of Seurat's paintings without a lot of words. The children love looking at it and love listening to me read the book! It is a perfect book for introducing art and artists to young children!



3. My 6 month old enjoys turning the pages on her own and looking at the pictures in this book. We can sit her on the floor and she'll spend 15 minutes studying the pictures as she turns the pages. I like the book because it exposes her to art, and because it's got a cute story and rhyme to it. I plan on buying more books from this series.