A Fisherman c. 1884

Georges Seurat made this oil on panel painting, A Fisherman, some time in the 1880s in France, at a time when urban life and leisure were becoming increasingly popular subjects for artists. What we see in this painting are the realities of labor; Seurat’s impressionistic brushstrokes and seemingly tranquil subject of a lone fisherman also prompt us to consider the social dynamics in which artists are working and living. The fisherman is immersed in nature, not part of the rising culture of modernity depicted by many of his contemporaries. How can we really understand the relationship of art and life without considering all the forces at play in the world when it was made? By consulting historical sources such as letters, journals, newspapers, and exhibition reviews, we can start to more fully understand the social and institutional context of the art itself.