The Seine at Bougival 1873

Alfred Sisley created *The Seine at Bougival* using oil paint on canvas. These are, of course, traditional materials for painting. But the way he applies them is quite radical. Look at the choppy brushstrokes, laid down with speed. Sisley isn't trying to give us a highly detailed depiction of the river, but rather, an impression of it. The material of the paint itself, with its inherent qualities of color and viscosity, is crucial to creating this impression. Consider the work involved. Sisley was part of a generation of artists who moved their studios outdoors. This meant lugging easels and paints, and working quickly to capture the fleeting effects of light and weather. While he wasn't exactly working class, he was certainly not part of the elite, either. There's a sense in which his paintings are records of labor, of his own physical effort to capture the world around him. This reminds us that art isn't just about ideas, but also about the hands-on engagement with materials, and the social context in which that engagement takes place.