Seurat was a leader among painters of the new generation, his own goal was to reach beyond impressionism and apply the results of scientific research to his art. Like so many he began his career at the Ecole des Beaux Arts in 1878 studying under Henri Lehmann and was influenced by artists such as Corot, Pissaro, Monet and especially the writings of Charles Blanc and Chemist Chevreul. Seurat was really interested in the science behind painting, like the Impressionists use of complementary colours, Seurat developed this idea further using the idea that colour is controlled by fixed laws and later constructed a disc bringing together the hues of the rainbow joined by intermediate colours so he could easily find the complementary of any colour or tone. As well as work of the Impressionists, he also made frequent visits to the Louvre studying the great colourists of the past.
His first great composition "Bathers at Asnieres" 1884 was carefully planned and had elements of Impressionism, including the subject matter of Asnieres a place of recreation and using complementary colours. However unlike Impressionism "Bathers at Asnieres" was a regulated play of horizontals and verticals, attentively studying the slightest details in many preparatory drawings and panels. Methodically separated elements of light, shade, local colour and interaction of colours and their proper balance and proportion. He had painted in great flat strokes, brushed one over the other, fed by a palette composed of pure as well as earth colours, by this use of ochre and browns the picture was deadened and appeared less brilliant than those of Impressionists with their limited palette of prismatic colours. This was also a very large painting of nearly 7 by 10 feet, painted in the studio, very different to the "plein air" approach by the Impressionists on small canvass.
By 1886 Seurat had completed "La Grande Jatte" after careful studies of landscape and crowds in a public park in Asnieres, the site for the "Bathers" picture, he also had models pose for him in the studio for preparation drawings.