Seurat and the Science of Painting demonstrates the close connection that existed between science and the visual arts during the late nineteenth century and deals with some of the developments that led to that union.
In tracing Georges Seurat's theory of art and its application in his major paintings, Dr. Homer has, without question, given us the best-substantiated appraisal of that French Neo-Impressionist painter ever to appear. Every known shred of evidence relating to the scientific influences on the work of Seurat has been woven into a carefully organized, clearly presented exposition.
The author's method has been to study those scientific sources which influenced Seurat—Chevreaul, Helmholtz, Rood, and Henry—extracting appropriate quotations relating to color, or to expression and harmony in Seurat's art. Each of Seurat's great paintings is in turn tested to determine what use he made of such scientific theory and how it influenced his technique and composition.
Many of the book's observations and conclusions are new and they are likely to evoke considerable interest among art historians, those concerned with esthetics, the practicing artist, and those interested in the history of science.
