A painting technique where small, distinct dots of color are applied to form an image. When viewed from a distance, the dots blend optically to create the impression of a wide range of colors and tones.
From French 'pointiller' meaning 'to dot' or 'to stipple,' coined by art critics in the 1880s to describe the technique developed by Georges Seurat and Paul Signac. The term was initially used mockingly but was later embraced by the artists themselves.
Pointillism was inspired by scientific color theory - Seurat studied how our eyes mix colors optically rather than physically mixing pigments on a palette! This means a pointillist painting actually appears more vibrant and luminous than traditional mixing because it harnesses the same principle your TV screen uses to create millions of colors from just red, green, and blue pixels.
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