Georges Seurat & Pointillism Activites

"Sunday Afternoon on the Island of the Grande Jatte", 1884-86 - Georges Seurat

This is the famous painting by French painter Georges Seurat which is made from many, many tiny dots of colour.  On an enormous canvas, the artist painted city dwellers gathered at a park on a island on the River Seine.  All kinds of people stroll, lounge, sail, and fish in the park.

Can you find these details in the painting:
      1.  Sailboat
      2.  Man smoking a pipe
      3.  Monkey
      4.  A girl looking at the viewer

Georges Seurat

Georges Seurat is well known for this unique style of painting called Pointillism.  Seurat painted using newly designed optical and colour theories, by placing individual brush strokes of pure colour right next to each other.  The tiny dots of paint provide the viewer a chance to blend the colour optically rather than having the colour blended on the canvas.  (ex. blue placed next to yellow appears green from a distance).

"The Side Show" (Detail), 1988 - Georges Seurat

For more information on Georges Seurat:
A conversation with Dr. Beth Harris & Dr. Steven Zucker @ Smarthistory.org
Art Access @ The Art Institute of Chicago
Georges Seurat @ The Artchive
Georges Seurat:  The Complete Works

Activities for Kids:
An Interactive Colouring Page @ Scrap Coloring
Paint with the Pointillator

Lesson Plans:
Making Pointillism Fish @ Teach Kids Art
Dot to Dot Seurat @ Kinder Art
Lots of Dots Landscapes @ Crayola.com