Sunday at Port-en-Bessin is one of the six paintings in the series created by Georges Seurat in 1888. Seurat’s main goal was to precisely translate the luminosity of the open air with all its complexities. To achieve this, he employed “divisionism,” a technique that splits colors into their primary elements. The painting is known for its portrayal of the fishing village on the Normandy coast, capturing the play of light and shade on the water in great detail.
Seurat’s artwork is oil on canvas and measures 25 3/5 × 31 9/10 inches | 65.1 × 80.9 cm. It can be found in the permanent collection of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. Seurat passed away at 31 years of age, leaving behind this masterpiece and a lasting legacy as the founder of the 19th-century French school of Neo-Impressionism.
In creating Sunday at Port-en-Bessin, Seurat demonstrated his mastery of Pointillism, a technique that uses tiny brushstrokes of contrasting colors to create an interplay of light and shadow. The painting serves as a stunning example of Seurat’s technique, showcasing his expertise in portraying the nuances of light and color in a natural environment. Today, Sunday at Port-en-Bessin remains one of Seurat’s most famous works and continues to inspire artists and art enthusiasts alike.
