Seurat and the Sea

The Courtauld is delighted to present the first-ever exhibition dedicated entirely to the coastal scenes of French artist Georges Seurat.

This landmark show is a rare chance to see Seurat’s work in the UK—our first major display focused on him in nearly 30 years—and explores how the sea inspired his revolutionary style.

As the home of the UK’s largest collection of Seurat’s work, we are excited to share his unique approach to light and color. Seurat is famous for his Neo-Impressionist technique, where he built up shimmering images using tiny, precise dots of pure color.

Because the artist passed away at the young age of 31, he left behind only a small number of works, making an exhibition like this a truly special occasion.

Step into the five summers Seurat spent along the northern coast of France between 1885 and 1890.

'Seurat and the Sea' brings together 27 beautiful paintings, sketches, and drawings created in charming port towns like Honfleur, Port-en-Bessin, and Gravelines. Seurat once said he traveled to the coast to ‘wash his eyes’ of the time spent in his Paris studio, hoping to capture the brilliant clarity and shifting light of the English Channel as faithfully as possible.

While Seurat is often remembered for his scenes of Parisian life, these seaside works offer a refreshing and important new perspective. We invite you to discover this often-overlooked chapter of his career and experience the coastal world through his extraordinary eyes.