Si a alguien le interesa, hay un libro reciente sobre el tema, aunque yo sólo he leído trozos:Seurat
Georges Seurat (1859-1891) was also a highly recognized member of the anarchist Neo-Impressionist movement. As aforementioned, his Pointillist brushstroke technique was highly evocative of the beliefs of the anarchist movement. This technique, established by Seurat and Paul Signac, created an image using small dots of color, methodically and elaborately applied. This particular “practice of conceiving of pictures as assemblages of parts, each of which was considered significant in and of itself at the same time that all were independent” directly correlates with the anarchist tendency towards an analytic interpretation of their surroundings (Roslak 387). The use of this new technique as well as the use of Chevreul’s chromatic diagram, also known as the color wheel, directly negated the established art traditions. The use of vibrant, unmixed colors directly from the tube also permitted his study of light. In creating shadows, he bypassed “the conventional muddy colors used by painters of the academic tradition” for a variety of colors which, when combined, would provide a similar optical effect (Homer 193). In doing so, Seurat very noticeably deviated from the establishment and became a clear sympathizer of anarchism.
Furthermore, his choice of subject matter, though different from that of Camille Pissarro, was equally charged with an anarchist political undertone. Although many Neo-Impressionists were keen on the portrayal of rural scenes, as a means to identify their desire for an idyllic country lifestyle, Seurat also depicted genre scenes within the city. Arguably, Seurat’s best and most recognizable work, A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte (1884-86, fig. 1), was evocative of his anarchist beliefs. Although not as overtly political as many of Signac’s similar works, this work, created on the scale of a history painting, provides a social commentary concerning the merging of different social classes. The work is set in a park, where as aforementioned, people of all classes were meant to retire to enjoy nature and relieve economic and political tensions. In this work, however, the park appears to be exclusively compiled of members of the bourgeoisie, as indicated by Seurat’s care to “render the signifying clothing of modern, suburban recreation” (Dymond 362). The static and stationary figures do not interact, evoking a sense of alienation and isolation. Although these characters are meant to be at leisure, they appear very rehearsed and aware of the proprieties of behavior. An innocent girl child defies this sterile scene, happily skipping in the background, whereas the other figures evoke little sense of emotion. The man in the foreground, with the bare arms and smoking pipe, interestingly violates the established norms of dress and activity present in the other male figures. His appearance provides a juxtaposition to the practiced appearance of his middle class counterparts, and suggests the confluence of various social classes. The elaborately constructed scene, therefore, acts as an “anti-utopian allegory” (Dymond 362).
Bathers at Asnières (1883-84, fig. 2) offers another Neo-Impressionist interpretation of anarchism. Although quite different from A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte, this other highly regarded work displays some of the same concepts present in its counterpart. The bathers are very different from the stiff, uneasy, strategic characters at the park at La Grande Jatte. The bathers are adorned in casual, working class attire. Unlike their bourgeois counterparts, the bathers appear to enjoy their leisure time, swimming, lounging, and otherwise jovially engaging in their surroundings. The women and their peculiar pets are interestingly lacking. Unlike the running, seemingly lost dog in Seurat’s work, a small dog rests with his owner and looks knowingly on the scene. A factory in the distance, however, acts as a reminder of the characters’ social standing. The dichotomy between the themes in these two works reveals Seurat’s personal beliefs about the separation of the classes. While the lower classes were less constrained by social norms and expectations, they were also continuously affected by the implications of the Industrial Revolution and the limitations therein. The upper and middle classes, however, were profoundly affected by the pervading social condition. The bourgeoisie were expected to follow certain standards of behavior, as suggested in Seurat’s scene at the Island of La Grande Jatte. Furthermore, both paintings involve the use of Seurat’s Pointillist technique, though Bathers at Asnières more effectively illustrates the technique of employing complementary colors as a highlighting agent. In the majority of his works, Seurat maintained a similar stylistic method, but he employed various subjects in order to portray his political sentiments. Although he lived a short life, Seurat was extremely instrumental in the success and rise of the Neo-Impressionists. Although his paintings are not overtly anarchist his works evoke a highly politicized sentiment regarding the class divide, and its effect on the lower class.
https://pissarropolitics.wordpress.com/seurat/
Robyn Roslak: Neo-Impressionism and Anarchism in Fin-de-Siecle France: Painting, Politics and Landscape
https://books.google.es/books?id=AzQrDw ... over&hl=es
