Of Dots and Brushstrokes - Essay Example

Edgar Degas’ Ballet Rehearsal on the Set was painted near the time of A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte by Georges Seurat was made, a period where artworks flourished birthing different forms of the trade. Although they lived in the same era and were from the same race, the two aforementioned artists chose different styles of painting with Degas using the commonly used form of brush strokes. His usual subjects were ballet dancers which are linked to his owning a studio where he spent most of his time observing the movements of the dancers. His interest was focused on capturing the body movements so he considered himself and preferred to be known more as a realist than an impressionist. Seurat on the other hand experimented with a new form of painting which was called pointillism because he used dots of colors to create a visual effect where primary colors placed near each other form the desired secondary colors. This experiment was inspired by his interest in color theories and the study of primary and secondary colors so his style hugely contrasted the common manner of mixing colors on a palette.

With the different styles of the two artists, obviously, their works have all been different although their thoughts placed into canvas both reflect features of impressionism. In Seurat’s A Sunday Afternoon, he tried to capture a photographic image of his subjects where the movements of the people are meticulously considered, interpreting even their facial expressions. As mentioned earlier, he used the concept of optical illusion where the viewers’ eyes seem to ‘mix’ the colors to form his desired color combinations with the use of dots of primary colors. Therefore, there are no traces of brush strokes in his work. Lines and curves have all been dependent on his skill and patience in making the painting. Looking more intently at the painting, one could just imagine the time spent in creating it, the care and painstaking effort exerted on the work. Seurat used the bright colors yellow and red as well as the cool colors green and blue, creating a lively scene on the island. He also used other colors for other objects and subjects in the painting, making use of a wide variety of colors.

In contrast to Seurat, Degas formed his Ballet Rehearsal at the Set through brush strokes especially using thin lines to express the forms of his subjects. He used a mixture of long and short thin lines to define his thoughts placed into canvas, making every part of the painting detail. One that could be noticeable difference between the two paintings mentioned earlier is the colors. Seurat used bright and various colors while Degas used dull and a limited number of colors to complete his work. Such would be understandable probably because of the setting of the two paintings where the latter is inside a closed building. The objects found in the set are just a few and therefore limit the colors. Although Degas might have chosen a brighter hue for the wall or the clothes of the other subjects to make a striking contrast, he still chose to take on white and black which matched the dullness of the color of the set. One of the ballerinas on the set has a red ribbon around her waist however it seemed a small portion in order to attract the viewer’s eyes to it. Nevertheless, it sure gave some effect that seemed to break the monotony of the painting.