SEURAT AND LA GRANDE JATTE

Publishing in connection with a June exhibition at the Art Institute of Chicago devoted exclusively to Seurat’s most famous painting, Burleigh does his best to make a detailed examination of the work—its subject, style, and the methods of its creator—interesting to a young audience. Alas, his efforts fall short of making concrete and engaging what is essentially an esoteric subject. Just to begin with the first question: “What do we notice first?” The answer is that the painting is huge. Well, not here it isn’t. And no amount of text can possibly convey the enormity of the work. Furthermore, apart from the attractive dust cover, the most vivid reproductions within are examples of the work of other artists, as Seurat’s pointillist style doesn’t lend itself to close-ups even when discussing the dots. Useful only to those who will actually be standing in front of the painting—along with the hundreds of others in the room. (Timeline, author’s note, glossary, selected bibliography, illustration credits, acknowledgements) (Nonfiction. 12+)