A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte

High school (ages 12+)
Art & Creativity

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/a-sunday-afternoon-on-the-island-of-la-grande-jatte

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the location?Island in the Seine River, Paris, France
2. What is the artist?Georges Seurat
3. How did Seurat paint the picture with dots?He placed many small, separate dots of pure color on the canvas. When our eyes look at them, the colors mix together and make the picture shine.
4. Why did Seurat choose the island of La Grande Jatte for his painting?The island was a popular place for middle and upper class people to relax and enjoy nature away from the busy city. Seurat wanted to show how they spent their Sunday afternoons.

Pointillism: A painting technique characterized by the application of small, distinct dots of color to form an image, relying on optical mixing.
Optical Mixing: The phenomenon where the viewer's eye perceives a blended color from adjacent, unmixed colors placed side-by-side.
Bourgeoisie: The middle and upper-middle class, often associated with material wealth and social status.
Chromo-luminarism: Seurat's term for his scientific approach to color and light in painting, emphasizing luminosity.