Wild Boar Fell, Brough 1914

Editor: So, here we have Lucien Pissarro's "Wild Boar Fell, Brough," painted in 1914, using oil paint. It’s a lovely landscape, really peaceful. I’m struck by the texture of the fields and the stone wall, but I am curious: What do you see in this piece, from your perspective? Curator: I am interested in the labor involved in creating this landscape. Pissarro wasn’t just representing the scene; he was processing raw materials into something that reflects his experience. The oil paint itself—the pigment, the binder—these were commodities, products of industry and trade. Look closely at how the artist used this oil, applied outside as 'plein-air' to give this scene immediacy of visual information. We must consider the labor that shaped these fields over time. How much human energy to work the land? The wall also provides the labor divide; the material between owned spaces and wilder nature. What are your thoughts about this interaction, or collision? Editor: I never thought about it in terms of labor before! It is striking how he is portraying the farmed landscape here, not an empty space. All those brushstrokes – a kind of labour in themselves, reflecting the other work taking place in the landscape. And yes, the stone wall really emphasizes that divide. I also wonder whether painting *en plein air* itself impacted the labor -- it makes it somehow less controlled or neat than painting it from memory back at the studio? Curator: Precisely. The act of painting becomes another layer of labor inscribed upon the land, literally using materiality that the market demands. Think about the societal demand that allows this art to take shape. Consider the artist’s choices of material. What happens if these material circumstances shift? What new landscape would arise then? Editor: That's a great point! I see it now, every element is imbued with evidence of labor and the conditions surrounding its making. Thanks so much for the explanation. I have never seen art quite this way. Curator: A pleasure! By examining these material connections, we gain a much deeper understanding of not only the art itself, but also of our relationship with the environment.