Pointillism, the composition of a painting using small dots instead of brush strokes, was devised by French 20th painter Georges Seurat.

Having been inspired by the treatises on color, optical effects and perception written by scientists such as Eugène Chevreul, Seurat applied these theories to his approach to painting. He believed that by studying the relationship between colors, particularly those on opposite sides of the color wheel, a painter could create true harmony and emotion in art.

For example, to create a sense of happiness in his paintings Seurat would use predominantly warm and luminous hued dots, whereas a sense of calm could be achieved by balancing light and dark shades and cool and warm tones.

The pointillist painters were inspired by nature, leisure activities and the circus!