What you are looking at
Parisians relax on a sunny island in the Seine: a couple with a monkey on a leash, a woman fishing, rowers, soldiers and children. Up close the whole scene is built from small dots and dashes of pure color that your eye mixes from a distance.
Why it is famous
Seurat worked on it for two years and showed it at the eighth and last Impressionist exhibition in 1886. The dot technique became known as pointillism. He later painted a dotted border around the edge.
How big is A Sunday on La Grande Jatte?
A Sunday on La Grande Jatte measures 207.5 × 308.1 cm (81.7 × 121.3 in), without its frame. Its surface is about 15 times the area of the Mona Lisa.
Compare it with other paintings
Where to see it
It is one of the Art Institute of Chicago's most visited works. Step back across the room to see the dots blend.
Museums move and lend paintings. Check the museum's website before you travel to see one work. See all famous paintings in Chicago.
Also at the Art Institute of Chicago
Paris Street; Rainy DayGustave Caillebotte, 1877 Chicago
The Old GuitaristPablo Picasso, 1903 to 1904 Chicago
American GothicGrant Wood, 1930 Chicago
NighthawksEdward Hopper, 1942 ChicagoFrequently asked questions
Who painted A Sunday on La Grande Jatte?
Georges Seurat painted A Sunday on La Grande Jatte in 1884 to 1886.
Where is A Sunday on La Grande Jatte?
A Sunday on La Grande Jatte is in the Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, United States. (Gallery 240.)
How big is A Sunday on La Grande Jatte?
207.5 × 308.1 cm (81.7 × 121.3 in). Its surface is about 15 times the area of the Mona Lisa.
What is A Sunday on La Grande Jatte made with?
Oil on canvas.
Sources: Art Institute of Chicago, "A Sunday on La Grande Jatte, 1884"; Wikidata Q1044742; Wikipedia, "A Sunday on La Grande Jatte". Checked October 17, 2026. How we check.