Girl and boy picking flowers 1866

Arnold Böcklin’s “Girl and boy picking flowers” was made with oil on canvas in the late 19th century, and the materiality of paint profoundly shapes its appearance. Böcklin applies paint with feathery brushstrokes, blurring the distinction between form and background. He was certainly skilled in representational techniques, but here he seems more interested in the textural qualities of his medium. Notice how the dappled application of paint creates an indistinct landscape. It's as though the scene emerges from a haze of pure color. The landscape is less a real place and more a collection of brushstrokes. Böcklin's method reflects a changing attitude toward art-making. Traditionally, painters were expected to hide the evidence of their work, to create an illusion of reality. Böcklin, by contrast, celebrates the materiality of paint, anticipating later movements that emphasized the artist's subjective experience. This change in aesthetics paralleled industrial production, as makers were thinking more and more about process. By foregrounding the act of painting, Böcklin elevates the role of the artist as a skilled maker. He invites us to appreciate the labor and intentionality that goes into creating an artwork.