Fisherman in a Moored Boat

The lively sketches along this wall were all painted by Georges Seurat. He used them to experiment with technique, try out new ideas for compositions and study specific elements for large-scale work. He also made many just for pleasure and considered them finished paintings in their own right.

Covering a span of eight years, the paintings reveal the evolution of Seurat's style. The short brushstrokes in the earliest sketches owe much to the Impressionists but also foreshadow Seurat's characteristic technique of using dots of pure colour to create forms and render light.

The portable, standard-sized wooden boards were ideal for painting out of doors and many studies reveal Seurat's interest in capturing reflections on the water, inspired by Impressionism. Fisherman in a Moored Boat is one such example. Seurat used the panel without first applying a preparation layer, allowing the natural colour of the wood to show through the paint. The dark tones suggest the scene takes place at sunset.