Madame Seurat, the Artist's Mother (Madame Seurat, mère)

Georges Seurat

about 1882–1883

Conté crayon, on Michallet paper

J. Paul Getty Museum

Though Georges Seurat created many portraits of his mother, none have the arresting sense of calm and simplicity seen in this drawing. Here, he filled almost the entire sheet with Madame Seurat's face. Her downcast eyes create an aura of modesty, and suggest that she is involved in a quiet activity such as reading or embroidery. She is plain, though not severe, with pulled back bun and slightly thick features--an unassuming motherly personage, apparently unaware that she is being observed. The drawing possesses an almost mystical aura, combining extreme intimacy and proximity with the equally extreme interiority of the sitter's faci