Pointillism is the painting technique in which dots of unmixed, pure color are juxtaposed on the canvas. The dots blend together in your eye to create tones when you look at the painting from a distance. The French Neo-Impressionist painter George Seurat is credited with developing Pointillism.
The Italian equivalent, also developed from the studies being done in optical science, is known as Divisionism (see Photo Gallery: Radical Light). One of the main differences is that Divionists used longer brush-strokes, more like a small comma, rather than a small dot or square of paint. Another is the type of subject matter painted, with Pointillists generally painting urban life and secular scenes, whereas Divisionists often painted social themes and used Christian symbolism.
