The artwork titled “Woman with a Monkey” is the creation of Georges Seurat, dated to the year 1884, originating from France. It represents Seurat’s unique style within the Post-Impressionism and Neo-Impressionism movements. Executed using oil on wood, it falls under the genre painting category. Presently, this piece is housed in the Smith College Museum of Art (SCMA), located in Northampton, Massachusetts, United States.
The artwork depicts a solitary female figure clad in a long blue dress, standing in a lush, dappled park setting. The woman’s profile is visible, her face turned away, gazing into the distance, suggesting a moment of private contemplation. The figure’s form is rendered in a silhouette-like manner, set against a forest of vigorous brushstrokes that suggest the foliage and light filtering through the trees. Her posture and the umbrella she holds over her shoulder convey a sense of elegance and poise.
At the woman’s feet, a small monkey is tethered by a leash, introducing an unusual and somewhat exotic element to the serene scene. The animal appears active, providing a contrast to the stillness of the woman. The juxtaposition between the refined lady and the monkey evokes a narrative quality that invites interpretations regarding the relationship between the two subjects and the social commentary it may imply.
Seurat’s technique of applying paint in a multitude of small, distinct points of color – which would later be termed Pointillism – is not fully developed in this painting. Nevertheless, there is a perceptible attention to the optical effects of color and light, hinting at the innovative approaches to painting that would come to define this era of art history and Seurat’s oeuvre. The piece overall suggests an intersection of the observed world with the inner life of the subject and the artist’s emerging scientific approach to representation.
