Georges Seurat, Banks on the Seine at Suresnes, 1883

Geroges Seurat’s Banks on the Siene at Suresnes holds great contrast in the subject matters. His Impressionist painting is both peaceful and disturbed. The man sits calmly by the serene waters of the Seine River in the quiet suburbs of Paris. However, the apparent train crossing through in the distance interrupts the soothing serenity in the rest of the scene.

A study for the final work, Bathers at Asnières, Banks contains a level of solitude which the former does not. Bathers contains numerous men, shirtless and sunbathing. The man in Banks loses his shirt and his hat, eliminating the lonesome peace of the preparatory study.

The sole man in Banks also stands out because of the construction of his form. Compared to the indefinite and smudged setting, the man is clearly outlined along with his shadow. This study for the final painting achieves a calm seclusion, while the finished product crowds and busies the   composition.