Seurat and the Sea: The Courtauld’s Landmark Exhibition Brings Rare Seascapes to London

The Courtauld Gallery is set to make art history in 2026 with the launch of Seurat and the Sea, the UK’s first-ever exhibition dedicated exclusively to Georges Seurat’s seascapes. Opening on 13th February 2026, this will be the first major UK showcase of Seurat’s work in almost 30 years, giving audiences a rare chance to explore his luminous studies of the northern French coastline.

Seurat, one of the most influential figures of the Neo-Impressionist movement, developed a meticulous technique called Pointillism, where small dots of pure colour are carefully placed to create a shimmering effect. While he is widely known for his iconic urban scenes like A Sunday on La Grande Jatte, his seascapes capture a softer, atmospheric beauty, often overlooked in favour of his grand compositions.

The Griffin Catalyst Exhibition: Seurat and the Sea will bring together 23 paintings, oil sketches, and drawings produced during the artist’s five summers on the English Channel coast between 1885 and 1890. Working in locations such as Honfleur, Port-en-Bessin, and Gravelines, Seurat sought to translate the ever-changing light and movement of the sea into his precise, scientific approach to painting. This exhibition will provide a unique opportunity to see these works side by side, offering a fresh perspective on the artist’s practice.

Seurat’s Seascapes: A Rarely Explored Side of His Work

Unlike the busy Parisian parks and leisure scenes for which he is best known, Seurat’s seascapes strip away human figures and focus on the pure elements of light, water, and air. He described these works as a way to “wash his eyes” after the intensity of his studio work in Paris, allowing him to engage more freely with colour theory and natural observation.

While Impressionists like Claude Monet captured the fleeting effects of light with rapid, visible brushstrokes, Seurat approached painting with a more structured and scientific method. His seascapes were meticulously composed, each colour dot placed with intention to enhance optical blending and luminosity.

Despite his early death at 31, Seurat left behind a small but profoundly influential body of work, making exhibitions of his paintings a rarity. This show at The Courtauld will be one of the most significant displays of his coastal scenes, featuring key loans from major international museums, including:

• Museum of Modern Art, New York
• National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
• Baltimore Museum of Art
• Indianapolis Museum of Art
• Minneapolis Institute of Art
• Musée d’Orsay, Paris
• Tate Britain
• National Gallery, London

These works display the complex relationship between land, sea, and sky, showing Seurat’s relentless pursuit of harmony and balance in his compositions.

The Courtauld’s Growing Reputation for Impressionist & Post-Impressionist Exhibitions

This exhibition follows the success of The Griffin Catalyst Exhibition: Monet and London. Views of the Thames, which became one of The Courtauld’s most attended exhibitions, drawing 120,000 visitors and selling out its entire run.

Funded by Kenneth C. Griffin, The Griffin Catalyst Exhibition Series has been instrumental in supporting high-profile Impressionist and Post-Impressionist exhibitions, and this partnership has now been extended until 2028. The Courtauld continues to solidify its reputation as a leading institution for groundbreaking 19th-century art exhibitions, providing in-depth research and public engagement on a global scale.

Professor Mark Hallett, Director of The Courtauld, expressed his enthusiasm for the upcoming show, stating:

“We are extremely grateful to Kenneth C. Griffin for his visionary support, which has already enabled The Courtauld to programme ambitious exhibitions that fuse world-class scholarship with a wide and diverse popular appeal.”

What’s Next at The Courtauld?

Before Seurat and the Sea opens in 2026, The Courtauld will first present The Griffin Catalyst Exhibition: Goya to Impressionism. Masterpieces from the Oskar Reinhart Collection, running from 14th February – 26th May 2025.

This exhibition will feature Impressionist and Post-Impressionist masterpieces from the Oskar Reinhart Collection ‘Am Römerholz’, including works by Manet, Van Gogh, Renoir, Cézanne, and Goya. This will be the first time these paintings have been exhibited outside of Switzerland, making it another landmark event for The Courtauld.

For more insights on London’s art scene and upcoming exhibitions, visit EyeOnLondon

[Feature Image Credit: Seascape at Port en Bessin, Normandy by Gorges Seurat – Flickr]

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