Breton girl spinning 

Paul Gauguin made this painting of a Breton girl spinning during his time in France. The artwork’s dreamlike scene creates meaning through its visual codes, cultural references, and historical associations. Gauguin was one of the Post-Impressionist artists. His use of strong colors and simplified forms in this painting evokes a sense of the traditional Breton culture. We can think about how the image comments on the social structure of his time. It is self-consciously progressive, in that Gauguin’s primitivism was intended to critique the industrialization of French society. He was also interested in the ways that art could challenge social norms. The historian plays a vital role in interpreting art, mentioning the kinds of research resources that might be used in understanding it better. Considering the social and institutional context, we can see the meaning of art is contingent.