Nothing links the invention of the smartphone… to a 19th Century painting
The young brand Nothing, headed by Carl Pei (former co-founder of OnePlus), enjoys surprising its audience and standing out in the saturated tech market. In a recent YouTube video, the company made an unexpected claim: smartphones would not exist without a painting created in the 1880s.
The Grande Jatte, a Visionary Painting?
The painting in question is “A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte,” created by Georges-Pierre Seurat. This iconic work from the pointillist movement depicts Parisians enjoying a Sunday afternoon by the Seine River. In it, we can see women with parasols, soldiers, a man in a top hat, a little girl in white looking at the viewer, and even a monkey on a leash.
At first glance, there seems to be no connection to smartphones. However, according to Nothing, the link lies in the painting technique: pointillism, which involves painting solely with dots of color. From a distance, these dots blend in our brains to create a coherent image.
Interestingly, this principle mirrors the way… modern screen pixels function.
Where Art, Science, and Technology Meet
Beyond a mere anecdote, Nothing emphasizes that this connection illustrates how art and science mutually enrich one another.
- Pointillism is based on scientific discoveries about light and visual perception.
- Artists explored new color palettes, contributing to the development of the color wheel.
- This same color wheel is now utilized by Nothing to create vibrant and distinctive designs.
Thus, the distance between artistic aesthetics and technological research is minimal.
A Metaphor, Not a Historical Reality
Of course, there is no evidence that Seurat directly or indirectly influenced the invention of the smartphone. The technologies necessary for miniaturization, screens, and processors only emerged several decades later.
Nevertheless, through this video, Nothing crafts an inspiring narrative: one of centuries of innovation, scientific advancements, and artistic visions contributing, each in their own way, to the device we hold in our hands today.
As the brand summarizes: “The next time you look at your smartphone, remember that it is the result of generations of discoveries, sciences, and art… and you’re using it to scroll or watch videos.”
Art as Tech Storytelling
With this unexpected comparison, Nothing once again showcases its ability to combine culture, science, and marketing communication. While the connection between Seurat and the iPhone (or any Android) remains a creative metaphor, the story perfectly illustrates Carl Pei’s philosophy: to create distinctive products that tell a vision that goes beyond mere hardware.
