Hat, Shoes and Undergarments (Study for "Une baignade, Asnières) 1883 - 1884

Editor: Here we have Seurat's "Hat, Shoes and Undergarments," a study related to "Une Baignade, Asnières." The subtle use of conté crayon is striking. What can you tell us about this study? Curator: Notice how Seurat meticulously renders these discarded garments. The very act of depicting these items – associated with labor and leisure – elevates them. How does this contrast with traditional academic art? Editor: It makes me think about the value we place on different kinds of work. Curator: Precisely! Seurat challenges that hierarchy by focusing on the material reality of everyday life and how these are consumed in the public sphere. Editor: I never considered the social commentary implicit in a pile of clothes. Curator: Art is always about something; here, Seurat uses simple materials to explore complex social conditions of the working class in nineteenth-century France. Editor: I'll never look at sketches the same way.