Tiberias (Gennesaret) lake 1882

Vasily Polenov made this landscape painting of the Sea of Galilee using oil on canvas. The material itself, oil paint, is a key to the work’s appeal. The texture of the paint, applied in visible strokes, brings an immediacy and life to the scene. You can almost feel the gentle breeze and the warmth of the sun on the rocks. But it’s not just the sensory experience that matters. Oil paint was an industrial product, the result of pigment manufacturing and global trade. This connects the work to broader social issues of labor, politics, and consumption. The amount of work involved in the production process, from extracting raw materials to the skilled application of paint, reflects a deep investment of human effort. Considering the materials, the making, and the social context, we get closer to understanding its full meaning. This challenges the traditional distinction between fine art and craft, inviting us to appreciate the painting's material presence and its connection to the world around it.