Cliff at Petit Ailly 1896

Claude Monet painted this canvas, Cliff at Petit Ailly, with oil in France, and it stands as more than just a landscape. It marks a shift in the social function of art. Monet and his Impressionist contemporaries moved art away from the formal studios and academic restrictions of the time. Instead they chose to depict everyday scenes, painted 'en plein air' – that is, in the open air. Here we see a cliff in blurred greens and blues. This reflected a move towards a more democratic art world. No longer was art just for the elite, but it was to be accessible to all. To truly understand this work, one must consider the Salon system, and how artists like Monet were excluded from exhibiting. Research into exhibition records, critical responses, and artists' letters helps reveal the complex relationships between artists, institutions, and society. The history of art is never just about the images themselves.