The painting took two years to complete and is the
most well-known example of the technique called pointillism. While
some art critics and historians see the painting as a commentary on middle-class
Parisian attitudes and behaviors, others prefer to talk about Seurat's
technique and his interest in the science of optics. More recently, however,
historians have been reevaluating the picture in terms of how it was viewed
in 1886 and what physical, social, and institutional contexts influenced
Seurat's choices. Each of the next four pages will look at these four perspectives
in detail, leading up to the most complete reading of a painting we have
done so far. Pay particular attention to how the information comes together
to create this reading- this will help you understand what it is you are
to do for the midterm.
Unit Three -- B) Social Perspective
Unit Four-- A) Artistic Perspective
