Houses of Lezaven 1894

Roderic O’Conor painted "Houses of Lezaven" with oil on canvas. He was an Irish post-impressionist artist who spent much of his career in France. The painting is a vibrant display of color, and the heavy brushstrokes reveal the influence of artists like Gauguin and Van Gogh. O’Conor spent time in Brittany, a region in France that attracted many artists at the turn of the century. This was a period of increasing industrialization, and artists were drawn to rural areas like Brittany for their perceived authenticity. But the art market played a large role in shaping these perceptions. Dealers and critics promoted the idea of the "primitive" as a way to sell art to an increasingly urban and wealthy clientele. We can see the artist engaging with these tropes through his choice of subject matter. By looking into the archives from art galleries from the time, and studying the dynamics of art markets, we can better understand the painting.