Overview

Although beloved today, Georges Seurat's Bathers at Asnières was rejected from the Salon exhibition to which it was first submitted. The work, painted when the artist was only 24 years old, was intended to make a statement. Meticulously planned, its detailed composition starkly contrasts with the spontaneity sought by Seurat's Impressionist peers. The scene is suffused with bright, hazy sunlight but evokes an eerie stillness. Each figure appears to exist in isolation. Alastair Sooke unravels this intriguing composition, which presents a picture of a society clearly divided by class, and explores how this monumental painting preceded A Sunday on La Grande Jatte – 1884 and Seurat's ascent to becoming a giant of modern art. Published by National Gallery Global/Distributed by Yale University Press

Full Product Details

9781857097474

Table of Contents

Reviews

Author Information

Alastair Sooke is the Telegraph’s chief art critic, a regular presenter of television and radio for the BBC, and the author of three books.  

Tab Content 6

Countries Available