pointillism

/ˈpwɑntlɪzəm/

The school of painting known as pointillism was a popular spin-off of Impressionism in the late 1800's. One well-known master of pointillism was Georges Seurat.

This school of painters seems to have gotten a head start on the pixel by 100 years! Their technique of painting consists of tiny dots of pure color that, when viewed from a distance, coalesce to give an impression not too far off what actually hits the eye in nature. In French, the diminutive plural of point is pointilles, or tiny dots, and the verb pointiller means "to cover with small dots."

Definitions of pointillism

1. noun

   a genre of painting characterized by the application of paint in dots and small strokes; developed by Georges Seurat and his followers in late 19th century France
   type of:

   genre

   a class of art (or artistic endeavor) having a characteristic form or technique
2. noun

   a school of painters who used a technique of painting with tiny dots of pure colors that would blend in the viewer's eye; developed by Georges Seurat and his followers late in 19th century France
   type of:

   school

   a body of creative artists or writers or thinkers linked by a similar style or by similar teachers

   art movement, artistic movement

   a group of artists who agree on general principles