The Pont Neuf 1871

Claude Monet made this oil painting of the Pont Neuf in Paris, using the fluid materiality of his medium to capture a fleeting moment. Monet's loose brushwork and muted palette reflect the industrial, urban, and social conditions of late 19th-century Paris. The painting embodies an aesthetic approach tied to wider social issues of labor, politics, and consumption. Think of the work involved in the production of the pigment, canvas, and brushes; raw materials from all over the world had to be extracted, manufactured, transported and sold. And consider also the labor that goes unrepresented in the image: those working behind the scenes to enable the lifestyle on display, from factory workers to laundresses and servants. The Pont Neuf is more than a pretty picture. It invites us to reflect on the relationship between art, labor, and the social context in which art is produced. Ultimately, that means challenging traditional distinctions between fine art and craft.