Description
Study for La Grande Jatte (Buffalo) is an oil study that Seurat painted on a small wooden panel in 1884–1885: a woman in a dark dress sits in the shade at the edge of the lawn and looks towards the Seine, the sunlit lawn behind her is crossed by the long shadows of trees, and a boat sails on the river. The original, 24.76 x 15.56 cm, is held by the Buffalo AKG Art Museum in Buffalo under number 1948:7. We paint it by hand in oils as a canvas painting, in eight sizes or to your own measurements, and before dispatch we send you a photograph of the finished work for approval.
| Title: | Study for La Grande Jatte (Buffalo) |
| Other titles: | Étude pour »La Grande Jatte« · Study for »La Grande Jatte« |
| Painter: | Georges Seurat (1859–1891) |
| Year painted: | 1884–1885 |
| Original size: | 24.76 cm x 15.56 cm |
| Original technique: | Oil on wood |
| Painting style: | Oil study – short strokes before the finished painting |
| Located at: | Buffalo AKG Art Museum, Buffalo (inv. no. 1948:7) |
| Our reproduction: | hand-painted in oils on canvas, 8 sizes from 25 x 16 cm to 150 x 100 cm, custom sizes on request |
Study for La Grande Jatte (Buffalo) – Georges Seurat
Who is in the painting?
Visitors to the island of La Grande Jatte whom the museum record does not name. At the front left, in deep shade, a woman in a dark dress sits on the grass with her profile turned towards the river; a piece of white cloth lies beside her. Higher up on the right, on the sunlit part of the lawn, stands a slender figure in a red dress, and other figures are hinted at between the trunks in the distance. At the upper left the Seine glimmers, and a boat with a red hull sails along it. These are not portraits of particular people but types from a Sunday afternoon on the island, the kind Seurat collected for his large painting.
What is on the panel?
A horizontal wooden panel only 24.76 cm wide. The lower part is taken up by dark green shade in which the woman sits, and above it the sunny lawn spreads out in yellowish green strokes, crossed by long, horizontal tree shadows. Thin, slightly leaning trunks give the scene its rhythm, and the water at the top is laid in with pale blue and grey strokes. The paint goes on in short, crossing strokes that do not yet become dots. Small white flecks scattered over the grass catch the light. The red dress of the standing figure and the red hull of the boat are the only strong warm colours in the scene, and the eye finds them at once. Thanks to the sharp contrast between shade and sun, the little panel has a surprising depth.
Why does this study matter?
Because it shows how Seurat studied light and shadow before he composed his most famous painting. For the large canvas of the island the French painter prepared a whole series of such panels, and on each he tried out something different. Here what interested him most was the hard edge between shade and sun, and a seated figure who almost disappears in the shadow. The pointillism he is known for today had not yet developed; neo-impressionism grew later out of observations like these. It is a calm, deep scene with strong contrasts.
What does the scene mean?
A quiet rest in the shade by the river. The woman does nothing but sit and watch the water, while behind her the lawn bathes in sunlight. That simple moment is the heart of Seurat’s Sunday scenes: people share the same place, yet each of them is alone. At home the painting feels calm and a little mysterious, and the dark shade in the foreground gives it a pleasant depth. It looks especially good on a light wall, where the dark lower part of the scene gains even more strength.
What happened to the original?
The museum publishes a short but clear history of the panel. Before September 1929 it belonged to the Paris dealer Joseph Hessel; in September 1929 the collector A. Conger Goodyear bought it in Paris, and in December 1948 he gave it to the Albright gallery in Buffalo, known today as the Buffalo AKG Art Museum; the gift was made from New York. Every detail here is taken from the museum’s record.
What place does this study have among Seurat’s works?
It is one of the preparatory studies for the large painting Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte, held by the Art Institute of Chicago. We also offer other studies for the same canvas: Oil Sketch for La Grande Jatte (Chicago), Study for La Grande Jatte (London) and Study for La Grande Jatte (right) from Paris. Each catches a different part of the same island; this one shows a lone figure in the shade. Hung together, they tell a small story of how the painter surveyed the island piece by piece.
How is our hand-painted version made?
With a brush and oil paint, never with a printer. Our painter works from a high-resolution image of the original and keeps what makes this study special: short, crossing strokes and the strong contrast between shade and sun. A pointillist technique would be wrong here, because the panel was painted before Seurat developed it. The museum’s photograph also shows a wooden edge around the panel; we paint only the painted surface. Because everything is done by hand, each hand-painted copy is unique. We do not yet have our own photographs of a finished canvas of this subject; once we have painted it for the first time, we will photograph it and put the photographs on this page.
Which size for which wall?
If you are not sure which to choose, take 60 x 40 cm. Our smallest size, 25 x 16 cm, is 2.4 mm wider and 4.4 mm taller than the original, which measures 24.76 x 15.56 cm, so it is the size in our range closest to the original. The format is horizontal, so it fits nicely above a narrow chest of drawers, above a bed or into a group of smaller works. 50 x 30 and 60 x 40 cm suit a hallway or bedroom; 70 x 45 and 80 x 50 cm stand on their own above a desk; 90 x 60 cm is the size for a living room, and 120 x 75 and 150 x 100 cm are meant for large walls. Every oil painting reproduction of this subject is made to order.
Custom size, stretcher bar and frame
If none of the eight sizes fits your wall, we paint the work to your measurements and keep the proportions of the original, so the shade and the lawn stay in balance; that is our custom size painting service. Every canvas comes stretched on a wooden stretcher bar, ready to hang. You pick a frame in our 3D frame viewer, which shows gold, silver, black, white and wooden profiles on this subject; its only purpose is choosing the frame. To see the painting on your own wall, you can order our room-visualisation service separately.
Delivery and guarantee
Every canvas is painted to order in our studio in Slovenia, so allow 15 to 45 days depending on the size. We ship it stretched, protected for transport and framed if you wish, within Slovenia and across the EU without customs duty. Before dispatch you receive a photograph of the finished work to approve, and our returns policy covers every order. All of Seurat’s subjects are in the Georges Seurat gallery, and our article about Georges Seurat explains what a good fine art reproduction needs.
Frequently asked questions
Where is the original?
In the Buffalo AKG Art Museum in Buffalo, under number 1948:7, a gift from A. Conger Goodyear in 1948.
Who is the woman in the shade?
The museum record does not name her; she is an unknown visitor to the island, not a portrait.
Is Étude pour »La Grande Jatte« the same work?
Yes. That is the original French title under which the museum lists the work, alongside its English form; we call it Study for La Grande Jatte (Buffalo).
Is this a print?
No. The work is painted by hand in oil on canvas; the brushstrokes can be seen and felt.
Which size should I choose?
For a hallway or bedroom, 60 x 40 cm; for the size closest to the original, 25 x 16 cm. The detailed guide is above.
Can I have a size that is not on the list?
Yes. We paint to measure and keep the side ratio of the original.
Why do you paint it without the wooden edge?
Because the edge is not part of the painted surface; we paint only what Seurat painted.
What does the study say in one sentence?
That a single moment of rest in the shade by the river can carry all the light of a summer afternoon.
Is the original for sale?
No. The panel is in the public collection of the museum in Buffalo and will not be sold. If you would like the scene on your own wall, we can paint it for you by hand.
How high should I hang it?
With its centre at eye level, about 145–150 cm from the floor. Hang the smaller sizes lower, closer to where you sit.
Is it suitable as a gift?
Yes, a quiet scene by the river suits almost any room. If you would rather let the recipient choose, there is our gift voucher.
- Subject: a woman sitting in the shade at the edge of a sunny lawn on the island of La Grande Jatte, with the Seine and a boat behind – 1884–1885
- Original: 24.76 x 15.56 cm, oil paint on wood, Buffalo AKG Art Museum (inv. no. 1948:7)
- Ours: painted by hand in oils on canvas, eight sizes from 25 x 16 to 150 x 100 cm, always stretched, framed on request
- Worth knowing: the sharp line between shade and sun gives the little panel great depth
