Port-en-Bessin, Entrance to the Harbor

Port-en-Bessin, Entrance to the Harbor (1888) was painted during Seurat's summer stay at the Normandy fishing village of Port-en-Bessin. He made six paintings there depicting the harbour's geometric cliffs and calm inner water. This view of the entrance, with its harbour walls and open sea beyond, exemplifies his mature ability to balance architectural geometry with the shimmering optical surface of divisionist technique. The calm, monumental quality of these harbour paintings made a deep impression on younger artists including Paul Signac. Now at the Museum of Modern Art, New York.

The composition is divided into strong horizontal and vertical elements — cliff, wall, sea, sky — against which the uniformly dotted surface vibrates. Complementary hues in shadow areas (blue cliffs against orange highlights) demonstrate Seurat's systematic application of simultaneous contrast across architectural forms.