Man Seated on a Stool c. 1880 - 1881

Georges Seurat made this drawing of a man seated on a stool using pencil on paper. It’s a preliminary sketch, a study of form and light, and its medium is closely aligned with his method. Seurat was deeply interested in color theory and optical effects. He used drawing as a way to plan and map out the compositions of his large-scale paintings. Here, the pencil lines capture the essence of the man’s posture, the way light falls across his back, and the simple geometry of the stool. The paper’s texture interacts with the graphite, creating subtle tonal variations. This is an inherently reproducible medium, even if this is a unique drawing. Seurat’s approach reflects a broader trend in late 19th-century art, where artists began to examine the underlying structures of perception and representation. By focusing on the materials and processes of drawing, Seurat invites us to consider the labor involved in artistic creation, and the relationship between the artist's hand and the final image. It encourages us to recognize that even a simple sketch is the result of careful planning, observation, and skillful execution.