Pointillism: The Revolutionary Painting Technique

What is Pointillism?

What is meant by pointillism?

Answer:

Pointillism, also known as divisionism and chromo-luminarism, is the technique in painting whereby minute strokes or dots of colour are applied to a surface in such a way that they appear to meld together when viewed from a distance.

Pointillism was a revolutionary painting style invented by Georges Seurat and Paul Signac in Paris in the mid-1880s. It was developed as a response to Impressionism, which was the prevailing artistic movement of the time. Unlike Impressionism, which focused on the subjective responses of individual painters, pointillism relied on the application of small, distinct dots or strokes of color to create a cohesive image.

The name "pointillism" comes from the technique of painting using points (or dots) of color. When these points are placed close together on the canvas, they blend together optically to create a more vibrant and harmonious image when viewed from a distance. Despite being a technique rooted in the late 19th century, pointillism is still recognized and appreciated in modern art.

← Evolution of music and text in the baroque era How to find an inspirational model for your artwork →