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Lot Essay
Dating from circa 1882, Fort de la halle is from a period of Seurat's oeuvre often referred to as his 'early maturity.' For it was during the first years of the 1880s that the simple and reductive line drawings that had formed the bulk of his works went through a sudden transformation, evolving almost spontaneously into what is still considered some of the most formidable draughtsmanship ever. Influenced by various artists, and also by theories on light and color, Seurat had invented a visual idiom that tackled many of what he perceived as problems in capturing light on paper. Signac would later refer to his friend Seurat's advances in this area: "Seurat's studies resulted in his well-considered and fertile theory of contrasts: a theory to which all his work was thereafter subjected. He applied it first to chiaroscuro: with the simplest of resources, the white of a sheet of Ingres paper and the black of a conté crayon, skilfully graded or contrasted, he executed... the most beautiful painters' drawings in existence" (quoted in J. Russell, Seurat, London, 1965, p. 16). This study of contrasts is especially clear in Fort de la halle, where Seurat has expressly manipulated the dense chiaroscuro in such a way as to emphasize the volume and bulk of the figure. Thus, the dark background fades discreetly into light towards the edges of the garments, lending them a further depth and darkness, giving them a greater sense of solidity. He has emphasised the contrast between light and dark, and thus manipulates, through the use of subtle gradations, the visible effects, controlling with masterly aplomb what the eye and the mind perceive.
R.L. Herbert confirms Seurat's mastery of drawing during this time period, "In just a little over a year after his return to Paris in November 1880, Seurat developed the distinctive drawing style which has placed him among the greatest masters of black and white. By 1882 he fully realised the rich, velvety drawings in Conté crayon which are so superb in every sense that they are a serious challenge to the pre-eminence of his painting. To many, as he was only in his early twenties at that period, the rapidity of his maturity was astonishing. In spite of his precocious competence, no drawing before 1881 can begin to compare with the quality of his first mature work" (in R.L. Herbert, Seurat's Drawings, London, 1965, pp. 35-36).
R.L. Herbert confirms Seurat's mastery of drawing during this time period, "In just a little over a year after his return to Paris in November 1880, Seurat developed the distinctive drawing style which has placed him among the greatest masters of black and white. By 1882 he fully realised the rich, velvety drawings in Conté crayon which are so superb in every sense that they are a serious challenge to the pre-eminence of his painting. To many, as he was only in his early twenties at that period, the rapidity of his maturity was astonishing. In spite of his precocious competence, no drawing before 1881 can begin to compare with the quality of his first mature work" (in R.L. Herbert, Seurat's Drawings, London, 1965, pp. 35-36).