pointillist

Pointillism is a painting technique in which small, distinct dots of pure color are applied in patterns to form an image. When viewed from a distance, the dots visually mix to create tones, shading, and a sense of luminous light. The approach relies on color theory and perceptual blending.

It emerged in the 1880s in Paris as part of Neo-Impressionism, led by Georges Seurat and Paul Signac. Critics sometimes distinguish pointillism from divisionism; divisionism emphasizes patches of color placed side by side, while pointillism stresses the systematic placement of evenly sized dots to achieve optical mixing.

Georges Seurat’s A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte (1884–1886) is a landmark work associated with the method. Pointillist practice often uses a limited palette of pure colors, arranged with careful planning and geometry. Dots may be laid in grids or rhythmic diagonals to regulate light, form, and cohesion across the composition.

The technique influenced later movements by reinforcing attention to light, color theory, and methodical painting processes. In art history, the term pointillist is sometimes used to describe followers of Seurat and Signac or works that share the basic approach, and it is sometimes used interchangeably with divisionism or neo-Impressionism. The method also marks a cultural moment in which optical effects and scientific ideas about perception were integrated into artistic practice.