Port-en-Bessin, Entrance to the Harbor
Georges-Pierre Seurat
French, 1859–1891
1888
An oil-on-canvas harbor scene in which Seurat portrays the entrance to a Normandy port and uses tiny, calculated dots of color to create shimmering light and atmosphere.
Seen close the surface is a glittering mosaic of individual colored dots, but at a distance the pale sea, white-sailed boats and sandy headland resolve into a calm, softly luminous coastal panorama.
This work exemplifies Seurat’s pointillist method—applying scientific color theory to painting—and helped define Neo-Impressionism by changing how artists represented light, color, and visual perception.
Medium
Oil on canvas
Dimensions
21 5/8 x 25 5/8" (54.9 x 65.1 cm)
Classification
Department
Credit
Lillie P. Bliss Collection
Accession
126.1934
Palette
Art Terms
Exhibitions
