The Can-Can
1889 - 1890
Georges Seurat captured the electric energy of a Parisian cabaret dance called the 'chahut' using his signature technique of tiny, meticulous dots. The high-kicking can-can dancers seem to defy gravity, their legs forming a rhythmic pattern that echoes the curves of the double bass in the foreground. Critics at the time found the scene a bit scandalous, pointing out the leering expressions of the musicians and the dancers' revealing costumes. It remains a vibrant, shimmering snapshot of 1890s nightlife that makes you almost hear the music.
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