The Flood-Gate at Optevoz 1859

Charles-François Daubigny created this painting, 'The Flood-Gate at Optevoz', using oil on canvas. The subdued palette and broad brushstrokes give the scene an air of serene calm. Daubigny, a master of light, renders the scene's reflective properties with his artistic method of juxtaposing tonal qualities. When we look at the painting's material presence, it is clear that it is embedded with the history of artistic labor. The labor is embodied by the artist and his tools; brushstrokes, layering, and blending being part of the process. The work also suggests the unseen labors of the landscape and the materials that constitute it, and the manual labor needed to construct the flood-gate. The composition is designed to draw us in and appreciate Daubigny's work, as well as the labor and materiality that went into the production of the flood-gate itself, which has its own structural rhythm and texture. This reinforces that appreciating art means acknowledging the skill and effort that went into its creation and design.