Fortune 1901

Luc-Olivier Merson’s “Fortune” was created around the turn of the century with oil paint on a large canvas. The smooth, blended brushwork might lead you to think this was a straightforward project, but look closer. Consider the scene: a classical allegory of abundance, placed right into the middle of an agricultural landscape. We have idealized figures seemingly suspended over a field where laborers and livestock are actively plowing the land, enacting a ritual of labor. Merson is contrasting the idealised world with the everyday material conditions that enable abundance. With this painting, Merson is pointing to the role of both physical labor and aspirational thinking in realizing a good life. Ultimately, the canvas demonstrates that the concept of "Fortune" is a more complex process of thought and making, and is not simply a gift from the gods.