Who painted At the Concert Parisien?

At the Concert Parisien was painted by Georges Seurat in 1888.

Where can I see At the Concert Parisien?

At the Concert Parisien is held by Cleveland Museum of Art.

What movement is At the Concert Parisien?

At the Concert Parisien is associated with Impressionism.

Artwork

At the Concert Parisien

Georges Seurat , 1888

At the Concert Parisien is a drawing by the Impressionist artist Georges Seurat. It dates from 1888 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.

Accession no.: 1958.344
Credit line: Leonard C. Hanna Jr. Fund

About this work

You see a crowd at a café-concert in Paris. A woman sings on stage while men in hats listen. The artist drew this from a unique angle, looking through the men’s hats.

Seurat used a waxy black crayon. The lines are sharp but soft. It feels like a snapshot, not a posed scene.

Look for more works by Georges Seurat (French, 1859–1891) at The Cleveland Museum of Art.

Overview

At the Concert Parisien is a drawing by Georges Seurat, capturing a scene at a Parisian café-concert, a popular entertainment venue for the middle class in the late 19th century.

Subject & Meaning

The drawing depicts a female singer performing on stage to an audience of men, their bowler hats partially obscuring the view, creating a sense of being among the crowd.

Technique & Style

Seurat employed a Conté black crayon, leveraging its waxy texture to achieve a range of tonal effects on the paper, resulting in sharp yet soft lines that convey a sense of immediacy.

Context

This work is part of a series of eight café-concert drawings by Seurat, some of which document known establishments, reflecting the artist's interest in contemporary urban entertainment.