Color Chart with Annotations [verso]

"Color Chart with Annotations [verso]" is a fascinating drawing by Georges Seurat, created in 1884. This delicate work, part of the National Gallery of Art's collection, measures a mere 13.2 by 16.9 centimeters. Don't let its size fool you, though! Executed in graphite on beige paper, it provides us a glimpse into Seurat's exploration of color theory. nn At the heart of the drawing, we find a color wheel, meticulously annotated in French. Notice how a central point acts as the focal point, with lines radiating outwards to denote different hues. Each line is carefully labeled with a color name – turquoise, capucine, rouge, grenet, violet, campanule, bleu, jaune, soufre, vert, orange, and infra – creating a visual map of color relationships. nn Below the color wheel, Seurat added further annotations, likely delving deeper into the intricacies of color theory and mixing. The handwriting, somewhat hurried, suggests this was a working document, perhaps a page from his sketchbook where he jotted down his observations and experiments. It offers us a privileged peek into the mind of an artist grappling with the very building blocks of his art: color and light.