Face to Face: The Neo-Impressionist Portrait, 1886-1904

Neo-Impressionism, the style pioneered by French painter Georges Seurat (1859-1891), has long been synonymous with landscapes, seascapes and scenes of urban life. However, its renowned dotted technique and use of color theory also produced portraits of unusual beauty and perception. This international exhibition, the first to focus on the portrait, will explore the facets, character and context of Neo-Impressionist likenesses. Featuring works by French artists such as Seurat, Signac, Cross and Luce, as well as several Belgian Neo-Impressionists who specialized in portraiture, the exhibition will include 70 to 75 paintings and 10 to 15 works on paper from several European and American museums and private collections. Many of the era's most interesting figures will be represented. Organized by the Indianapolis Museum of Art, the exhibition will travel to Indianapolis and two other museums between fall 2010 and summer 2011. Exhibition curators are Dr. Jane Block, Turyn Professor at the University of Illinois and distinguished scholar of late 19th-century European art, and Ellen W. Lee, the Wood-Pulliam Senior Curator at the Indianapolis Museum of Art.