Still life with oysters 1876

Paul Gauguin made this still life with oils on canvas. The brushstrokes create a certain texture, but he's really interested in the textures of the things he's depicting: the matte surface of oyster shells, the glistening champagne bottle, the bloom on the grapes. Looking closely, you can see the painting is not just about the enjoyment of food and drink. It also speaks to the complex labor systems that deliver these goods to the table. Consider how the oysters were harvested, transported, and prepared. Or the cultivation of the grapes and the production of the wine. And the hunting of the duck. In Still Life with Oysters, Gauguin invites us to think about the journey of these objects from their origins to the moment they are consumed, blurring the boundaries between fine art and the everyday realities of production and consumption.