An 1880s painting holds surprising importance for the development of smartphone technology.

Nothing is considered an innovative mobile device company. Carl Pei, the CEO, previously co-founded OnePlus before starting Nothing. The company recently released a YouTube video with an interesting theory. According to Nothing, smartphones owe their existence to Georges-Pierre Seurat's 1880s painting, A Sunday on La Grande Jatte.

The company acknowledges that smartphones could not have existed at that time and were not inspired by the painting. The painting depicts people relaxing on a Sunday by the Seine River.

The figures in the painting consist of dots, a style called pointillism developed by Seurat. From a distance, the brain blends the colors of the dots to create a coherent image. This mirrors the science behind pixels on smartphone screens.

Discoveries at the time led to paintings with more vibrant colors and the creation of the color wheel. Nothing uses the color wheel to design distinctive devices, highlighting the interconnectedness of art, science, and technology.

Nothing says that smartphones are the result of centuries of innovations, scientific and artistic breakthroughs, and generations of brilliant minds.

The company admits there is no evidence that the painting inspired the creation of the smartphone. However, the painting and its style are still intriguing to those interested in smartphones and current technology.

Nothing also announced its upcoming coffee table book, "Iconic Phones: Revolution at Your Fingertips," which explores the technological revolution of the 21st century.