Seurat, Georges (1859-1891)
Le Chenal de Gravelines, Petit Fort Philippe (The Channel of Gravelines, Petit Fort Philippe)
1890
Oil on canvas, 73 × 92.7 cm
Indianapolis Museum of Art, Indianapolis
For this tranquil harbor scene in northern France, Seurat, leader of the Neo-Impressionist movement, methodically applied fine points of color, capturing the purity of coastal air and light. Carefully arranging the vertical and horizontal elements of his subject, he constructed a deftly balanced composition that is remarkably faithful to the actual appearance of the port.
The frame is a reproduction based on Seurat’s original frames for his seascapes. Its ultramarine blue enhances the scene’s luminosity, while the flecks of color repeat the hues of the canvas’s narrow dotted border. (IMA)