L’Homme à femmes (1890)

Seurat, Georges (1859-1891)

L’Homme à femmes (The Ladies’ Man)
1890
Oil on panel, 25 x 16 cm
Barnes FoundationPhiladelphia

This small oil painting was a study for the cover of L’homme à femmes, a satirical novel by Victor Joze published in 1890. Seurat pictures the story’s main character—a struggling novelist who, rather than working on his writing, spends his time chasing women and getting embroiled in one scandal after another. Phallic cane in hand, the top-hatted figure stands with silly confidence as a flock of admiring women gathers behind him. (BF)