Models by Georges Seurat

An aesthetic manifesto of divisionist theory, this ambitious work reinvents the classical tradition of the academic nude within the modern artist’s studio. The work named “Models” created by the artist Seurat Georges depicts the daily work of the painter’s models. The scientific rigor of the composition joins a subtle meditation on art and the creative process. The enclosed space of the studio becomes the setting for an unprecedented formal poetry.

The scene gathers three nude women in an interior bathed in soft mauve and golden light. At the center, a modest model stands facing forward, hands clasped before her, standing on a white cloth. To her left, a second figure seated from behind on a stool contemplates the large canvas hanging on the wall depicting strollers in a park. On the right, the third woman, viewed in profile, is busy pulling a long green stocking onto her bent leg. On the floor lie various personal items consisting of straw hats, colorful parasols, and scattered garments. Framed sketches and a hanging green garment decorate the violet wall on the right.

Seurat Georges affirms prodigious craftsmanship in harmonizing dots of color and arranging light. The velvety rendering of skin tones and the balance of volumes prove the viability of his scientific method. This plastic rigor elevates the study of the female body to the status of an essential masterpiece.