Shinnecock Hills, LongIsland 

William Merritt Chase made this painting of Shinnecock Hills, Long Island, using oil on canvas. Oil paint, in its essence, is a mixture of pigment and oil, typically linseed oil. Notice how Chase used loose, visible brushstrokes. This technique, made possible by the fluid nature of oil paint, captures the transient effects of light and atmosphere. Oil paint dries slowly, allowing artists to blend colors seamlessly and create subtle gradations. Look at the horizon line, and the blending of the sky. But consider this as well: the paint was commercially produced, the canvas machine-woven, the brushes manufactured in a factory. This was a modern scene, in more ways than one. Even as Chase memorialized a disappearing landscape, he was participating in an industrialized system that made his art possible. It's a reminder that even the most seemingly straightforward landscape painting is tied to wider social and economic forces. So when you look at a painting, remember to consider not just what is depicted, but also how the materials and making processes contribute to its meaning.