From its establishment, Sula was judged that Asniere’s bathers were not merely separate paintings. It was a bold manifesto about how we view the world, in order to filter out the artificial traps of classes and status, shapes and functions, revealing the vital vibrations of colour, pure colour. In preparation for his work, Surat drastically left the spontaneity of Impressionism and the habit of working hurried outdoors, and was convinced that in his studio, the painting of crayons is almost as many masterpieces that establish his place in the world of art. He believed it was a painting that people had noticed. So he submitted it. And they refused.
Something like this:
• A WW2 poster that has become a beloved and hated icon.
• The statue of the United States at the heart of the culture war
• The true meaning of Van Gogh’s sunflowers
Although widely praised today as a masterpiece of inspiring atmosphere, Asniere’s bathers on the road to criticism were bumpy at best. Scarred by the salon’s rejection, but invincible, Sula remained determined that his canvas was still being seen. He soon joined forces with a difficult band of equally tormented rejection from the crying salon, including Paul Signac and Odilon Redon. Calling themselves the Independants of Group de Artists, the crew rushed to stage the rival exhibition at a wooden pavilion between them in between the concorde locations. Unfortunately, the organizers’ decision to pack a rough, ready wall with the unpleasant size of his canvas and over 400 pieces was perplexed by a few people whose works stretched their elbows into the unattractive locations of the show, where they were completely notified. Early reviewers of the painting show restraint, and he insists that he “dare not to entertain it,” but others rarely feel the word “monster,” “vulgar,” or “bad from all perspectives.”
It became another half a century, and after Sula herself died prematurely in March 1891, at just 31 years old, his masterpiece came to be considered a key moment in the story of art. After suffering in private hands for 60 years, Burster was acquired by the Tate Gallery in London in 1924, raising its profile. Adequately placed on the walls of the museum, with ample space for the visitor’s eyes to absorb its power, Asniere bathers began to gain critical traction both in the exquisite distillation of the very essence of summer and in the modern wonders of the art of seeing.
Bathing guests at Georges Seurat in Asnières are on display at the National Gallery in London.
Source: BBC Culture – www.bbc.com
