Low Tide at Pourville, near Dieppe, 1882 1882

Claude Monet made this oil painting, *Low Tide at Pourville, near Dieppe*, in 1882. This was during a period of great institutional change in France. The Third Republic had only recently been established, and the art world was similarly in flux. Monet and his Impressionist contemporaries sought to break away from the traditional academic system, which was seen as overly rigid and controlled by the elite. Instead, they focused on capturing the fleeting effects of light and atmosphere, as we can see in the reflections on the water and the soft rendering of the cliffs. This painting captures a sense of leisure and escape, reflecting the growing popularity of seaside resorts among the middle and upper classes during this time. But this scene is also carefully constructed, and was exhibited to the public in commercial galleries. To understand this artwork more fully, we might consult exhibition reviews from the period, as well as studies of the art market and the development of tourism in France. In doing so, we recognize that what might seem like a straightforward depiction of nature is in fact deeply embedded in its social and institutional context.