Beach at Gravelines

This nearly abstract seascape is rendered with only a few colours, the separation between water and sky barely marked by the strip of orange in the centre. In it, Georges Seurat captured the cloudy radiance typical of the northern coast of France, where he spent several summers.

Although painted on the thin panel that Seurat favoured for studies, Beach at Gravelines is not preparatory for another painting but done simply for pleasure. Grains of sand embedded in the paint attest to its creation out of doors.