Georges Seurat
(1859–1891)
Nurse with a Child's Carriage
Inscribed by Maximilien Luce in blue chalk at left, G. Seurat; his own initial L below, in blue chalk; and inventory number 317 in red chalk
Conté crayon on Ingres paper
Thaw Collection
1997.89
Item description:
The velvety surface, lustrous black, and rich palette of grays in this drawing are typical of Seurat's art. He achieved such effects with a Conté crayon—a medium greasier than pencil or charcoal and allowing for greater variations of value— applied on heavy-textured paper. Also characteristic of Seurat is the reduction of the scene to simple geometric patterns, a process of distillation for which his work is often considered a precursor to twentieth-century abstract art.