A Sunday Afternoon with Scranton

A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte (1884–1886) by Georges Seurat

   

 Georges Seurat is the French Post-Impressionist painter and draftsman, who practiced the technique Pointillism, which involves using dots of various colors to create a picture. He was deeply fascinated by theories and principles of color organization. His unique color system was based on the Impressionists realization that “all nature was color.”

   

    One of Seurat’s most iconic paintings in the 19^th century is A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte. The painting altered the direction of modern art by initiating Neo-impressionism. The painting has a theme of leisure, “where Parisians of the working, artisan, an professional classes as well as the bourgeoisie” could enjoy themselves by walking around, listening to music, dancing their lives away, or maybe even rowing a boat.

   Seurat’s painting has influenced many aspects revolving in pop culture. Let me begin with the musical; “Sunday in the Park with George,” was inspired by the painting, with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by James Lapine. It revolves around the fictionalized life of Seurat, immersed in single-minded concentration while painting his masterpiece and the people in that picture, the Broadway production opened to mixed reviews in 1984 (Chicago Shakespear, 2013).

    Another place in pop culture influenced from this painting is NBC’s “The Office.” That is right, it’s “Scranton's finest, kicking it Seurat-style in the park” (Dobbins, 2011). I was especially excited for them to recreate George Seurat's famous painting, incorporating all the amazing personalities that “The Office” has to offer. Some critics say that NBC wanted to depict the office being amazing, to create excitement for their 2011 fall line-up of shows. The only thing missing is a monkey.

Arnason, H. Harvard. History of Modern Art: Painting, Sculpture, Architecture. New York: H.N. Abrams, 1968. Print.

"Chicago Shakespeare Theater - Sunday in the Park with George." Chicago Shakespeare Theater - Sunday in the Park with George. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Feb. 2013.

Dobbins, Amanda. "See The Office Cast's Re-creation of Seurat's Sunday Afternoon."Vulture. Vulture, 6 May 2011. Web. 08 Feb. 2013.