Haystacks

Georges Seurat

National Gallery of Art

This painting depicts a landscape with several haystacks in the center, arranged in a line that cuts diagonally across a green field from left to right. The five large golden-brown haystacks are shaped like tall cones and are surrounded by more golden hay on the ground beneath them. The rest of the field is mostly green, with patches of yellow, purple, and light blue. The sky above the field is light blue, with long horizontal strips of white clouds. At the horizon is a line of purple and dark blue shapes, suggesting faraway trees, or perhaps low buildings. The brushstrokes are short and textured, making the landscape appear blurred.