E VA L U A T I N G A R T

CONTEMPORARY ARTS

MODULE 3.01
FOUR STEPS

Description Analysis Interpretation Judgment

A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of
La Grande Jatte is George Seurat’s
most famous work. It was painted from
1884 to 1886 using oil on canvas. This
painting is a mirror image of another
of Seurat’s painting, Bathers of
Asnières. The painting shows a group DESCRIBE
of fashionable people relaxing on the
left side of the La Grande Jatte, Paris.
 This part of the river depicts an area with
trees as shade. A couple is seen standing on
the foreground. The woman is wearing a hat
and holding an umbrella. The man is partly
covered, though he is seen wearing a top hat.
There is a black dog looking for food on the
ground, behind a man wearing a modern
baseball hat, a red sleeveless top lounging on
the grass. A woman is seen fishing on the
river bank. All the characters depicted on the
painting are either looking down or looking at
the river, except for a child wearing a white
dress seemingly looking directly at the
viewer. The painting shows a contrast of
bright and dark colors. The artist created
space by emphasizing the foreground and
background of the scene with the people and
objects getting smaller as the view goes
A N A LY Z E
farther. There are no real lines in the painting
as Seurat used a pointillist technique.
INTERPRET
The painting conveyed a sense of fashion and class suggesting that
this area is frequented by the bourgeoise. The scene also depicts a
typical Sunday afternoon in the life of a Parisian who wants to escape
the heat of the city and relax by the riverside. Although the painting
shows a leisurely atmosphere, the scene is covered in shadows
suggesting that the life of the elite is not all glitter and glamour, but
there is a darker side to it. In contrast, Seurat’s earlier painting -
Bathers of Asnières showing the other side of the river bank where the
working class spend their Sunday afternoon – has a bright and sunny
background and the people showing more relaxed postures. This area
of the La Grande Jatte was known to be a place where the rich pick
up prostitutes.
 On the onset, the whole painting exhibits a
sense of leisure. However, it conveys a
hidden allusion to the lifestyle of the elite
and the struggles they go through. One can
only understand the hidden context when
this artwork is studied together with the
Bathers of Asnières. This work of art does
not allow a viewer to just look at the
painting at face value, but forces the viewer
to think beyond the revolutionary technique
Seurat used. Although this painting is a
successful piece of art, the lack of facial
expressions in the art piece diminishes the JUDGE
intensity of the depiction of the bright and
dark side of elite Parisian living.
 ACTIVITY 2/
S U M M AT I V E A S S E S S M E N T
TAGALOG REGION

Mikael
Fernando Amorsolo Federico Alcuaz
Sylvester
Hernando Ocampo Francisco Coching
Dean Asher
Carlos Francisco Victorio Edades

Jose Joya
Cesar Legaspi
Vicente Manansala
Guillermo Tolentino
Larry Alcala
Arturo Luz
 ACTIVITY 2/
S U M M AT I V E A S S E S S M E N T
CORDILLERA REGION MINDANAO REGION
KC
Dianne Abdulsari Asia Imao
Benedicto Cabrera Debrah Ang Kiukok

VISAYAS REGION WHAT TO SUBMIT:

Eryn
Lyneth Activity 1/What I Can Do Artwork (individual)
Napoleon Abueva
Dana
J. Elizalde Navarro Activity 2/Summative Assessment Critique
Xantee
(group)