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The canal of Gravelines, in the direction of the sea

Georges Seuratsummer 1890

Kröller-Müller Museum

Kröller-Müller Museum
Otterlo, Netherlands

Different viewpoints
Georges Seurat spent the last summer of his short life in the port town of Gravelines, just south of Dunkirk. For the four paintings that he made there, he chose a spot on the canalized River Aa, which connects the town with the sea. He painted this spot at different times of the day and always from a different viewpoint.

Motionless
In this version, the largest section of the painting is taken up by the harbour basin with the boats used to fish for herring and cod. However, no activities or people are visible. The boat that sails into the harbour doesn’t even seem to have a skipper. The air is just as motionless as the sea. The light is even and diffuse.

Tranquil composition
At first glance, The canal of Gravelines seems like a depiction of a harbour at a coincidentally quiet moment of the day. But here, Seurat has reduced the visual reality to a tranquil, harmonious composition, made up of countless dots in an extremely fine pointillism.

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  • Title: The canal of Gravelines, in the direction of the sea
  • Creator: Georges Seurat
  • Date Created: summer 1890
  • Physical Dimensions: 73,5 x 92,3 cm
  • Original Title: The canal of Gravelines, in the direction of the sea
  • External Link: Collection searcher
  • Medium: Oil on canvas
Kröller-Müller Museum

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