You have reached page #5 and you
will find clues about the visual
element of texture. Texture
is created by the amount of light which
is reflected on a surface.
Some names for textures are slick,
matte, soft, fuzzy, blurry, dull,
coarse. . .Can you think of
several names for textures.
Write them below. One way to create
textures is to take a sheet of paper,
and place it over an object, and
then rub a pencil over the sheet
of paper. You will get a textural
rubbing and can use that rubbing
to create a work of art. Try it!
Here is the painting!
Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte
Georges Seurat-Who was he?
Georges Seurat was a French, Post-Impressionist
painter (his style was influenced
by the Impressionist painters, that is
why he is considered a Post-Impressionist.)
He is also known as a
"pointillist". In fact, he
was one of the painters that developed
this style of painting. Pointillism
was a method in which Seurat
painted directly on the canvas in
small dots and dabs of colors. He
mixed primary colors-such as yellow
and red-directly on the canvas by
placing them side-by-side. For instance,
when you looked at the painting from far
away the colors blended together,
creating secondary colors. When
Seurat mixed yellow + red on his
canvas in little dots he was able
to give the appearance of orange
to the viewer. Pointillism was
an amazing technique that was developed
before computer pixels or
color television. Seurat was
influenced by the scientists of his
time who were working on color theories
and optics. Seurat studied
their scientific theories and then
experiment with his medium-oil
painting.
Below is the list of clues that will
help you to understand the
painting's meaning. Every
painting has something to say. Look
very carefully and see what this
painting is saying to you.
Clues
1. What is the title of the
painting?
2. Does the title give you
a clue to the meaning of the painting?
3. What year was this painting
painted? What do you know about
the people of this time from this
painting? What kinds of clothes
did they wear? What kinds
of activities did they participate in
when they were relaxing? What
did they do on Sunday Afternoons in
France (that is where the Island
of the Grande Jatte is located).
4. Imagine that you could
walk into this painting. What has the
artist done to create a sense of
spatial dimension within the painting?
Who is closest to you? Are
those figures large and in the foreground
of the painting closest to us?
Why do we think so? Is there a mid
point in the composition?
And is there a far away in the composition? Has the artist created
smaller
figures and placed them higher in
the compositional plane to create
a feeling of far away?
5. Do you see strong vertical
lines? Does that give the painting
a structured mood? Does it
look like a stage set like you would
see in a theatre? Are the
figures posed?
6. How would you describe
the texture?
7. Can you see the little
dots of colors that Seurat has used? Name
the colors. What is the technique
of small dots called?
8. Do the shapes blend in
the composition or do the figures look like
paper dolls?
9. Would you like to visit
a place like this? Why?
10. Do you think that Seurat
liked where he was?
11. What was the weather like?
12. What kinds of pets did
people have on the river bank?
13. Are the people having
fun?
14. When you visit a lake,
or river, or the ocean do you see
people participating in the kinds
of activities that you see in this
painting?
15. Do you think there are
activities that people engage in now that
they couldn't then? Why?
16. Could you make up a story
about this painting?
17. What does this painting
say to you?
When it comes to looking at a painting
everyone's answers will be
different, that's what is fun about
an art adventure. Every painting
tells a different story to each
person who looks at it.
18. Where would you find this painting if you wanted to see it in person? Hint: Do a google search. Teachers and Librarians will find resources online at this well known museum.