La Parade de Cirque (1889), showing the contrasting dots of paint used in pointillism.]]
Pointillism is a technique of
painting in which small, distinct dots of pure
color are applied in patterns to form an image.
Georges Seurat developed the technique in 1886, branching from
Impressionism. The term Pointillism was first coined by
art critics in the late 1880s to ridicule the works of these artists, and is now used without its earlier mocking connotation. It is a technique with few serious practitioners today, and is notably seen in the works of
Seurat,
Signac and
Cross. However, see also
Andy Warhol's early works, and
pop art.
, Femmes au Puits, 1892, showing a detail with constituent colours.]]
The practice of Pointillism is in sharp contrast to the traditional methods of blending pigments on a palette. Pointillism is analogous to the four-color CMYK printing process used by some color printers and large presses that place dots of Cyan (blue), Magenta (red), Yellow, and Key (black). Televisions and computer monitors use a similar technique to represent image colors using Red, Green, and Blue (RGB) colors.
Neuroplasticity is a key element of observing any pointillistic image. While two individuals would observe the same photons reflecting from a photo-realistic image, someone whose mind has been primed with the theory of pointillism will perceive the image differently as it is interpreted in the visual cortex.
Practice
If red, blue, and green light (the
additive primaries) are mixed, the result is something close to white light (see
Prism (optics)). Painting is inherently
subtractive), but pointillist colours often seem brighter than typical mixed subtractive colors. This may be partly because subtractive mixing of the pigments is avoided, and partly because some of the white canvas may be showing between the applied dots.
The painting technique used for pointillist color mixing is at the expense of the traditional brushwork used to delineate texture.
The majority of pointillism is done in oil paints. Anything may be used in its place, but oils are preferred for their thickness and tendency not to run or bleed.
Music
Pointillism also refers to a style of 20th-century music composition. Different musical notes are made in seclusion, rather than in a linear sequence, giving a sound texture similar to pointillism. This type of music is also known as
punctualism or
klangfarbenmelodie.
Notable artists
,
Self Portrait, 1887, using pointillist technique.]]
Georges-Pierre Seurat
Paul Signac
Henri-Edmond Cross
Charles Angrand
John Roy
Maximilien Luce
Vincent van Gogh
Camille Pissarro
Théo van Rysselberghe
Chuck Close
Georges Lemmen
Notable Paintings
A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte by Georges Seurat
Bathing at Asnieres by Georges Seurat
The Windmills at Overschie by Paul Signac
Banks of Seine by Georges Seurat
Une baignade, Asnières by Georges Seurat
A Coastal Scene by Theo Van Rysselberghe
Family in the Orchard by Theo Van Rysselberghe
Countryside at Noon by Theo Van Rysselberghe
Afternoon at Pardigon by Henri-Edmond Cross
Rio San Trovaso, Venice by Henri-Edmond Cross
The Seine in front of the Trocadero by Henri-Edmond Cross
The Pine Tree at St. Tropez by Paul Signac
Against the Enamel of Background Rhythmic with Beats and Angels by Paul Signac
The Yellow Sail, Venice by Paul Signac
Notre Dame Cathedral by Maximilien Luce
Le Pont De Pierre, Rouen by Charles Angrand
The Beach at Heist by Georges Lemmen
Aline Marechal by Georges Lemmen
Vase of Flowers by Georges Lemmen
See also
Neo-Impressionism
Stippling
Divisionism
Punctualism
Micromontage, similar technique in music
References
External link
Category:Artistic techniques
Category:Post-Impressionism
Category:Pointillism