George Seurat was nicknamed 'the notary' by Degas, probably because of his meticulous nature. Coming from a wealthy background, he was free from financial constraints and able to devote himself to studying new artistic forms without any immediate commercial goals. A discreet bookworm, he was offended by Gauguin's admission to Signac's studio, given Gauguin's reputation for appropriating other artists' ideas. This incident may have contributed to Gauguin's subsequent hatred of Divisionism.