Georges Seurat (1859–1891)
1888, reworked around 1889
Oil paint on canvas
Port-en-Bessin, summer 1888
The six paintings (numbers 11–16) Georges Seurat produced in Port-en-Bessin are reunited in this exhibition for the first time since they were unveiled in February 1889. They are displayed here in the order chosen by Seurat. As a group, they create a composite image of the port, with three views taken from the quays and three from the nearby cliffs. Here, Seurat focused on the new swivel bridge across the harbour entrance and the iron structure of the fish market, signs of modernisation that also feature in postcard views from the time (see next page). The three figures that break up the expanse of the foreground are a rarity in Seurat’s coastal works, which are usually devoid of people.
Postcard of Port-en-Bessin, ‘The Bridge and the Fish Market’ around 1890–1910