The Village of La Celle-sous-Moret 1840 - 1889

Editor: This is Eugène Lavieille's "The Village of La Celle-sous-Moret," created sometime between 1840 and 1889, using oil paint. The landscape is so serene, almost dreamlike, but also, I notice the materiality of the paint itself; thick brushstrokes and layers are very apparent. What catches your eye when you look at it? Curator: For me, it's about the social context embedded in those brushstrokes. Think about the pigments themselves - where did Lavieille source them? How were they processed? The cobalt blues and lead whites likely involved complex systems of trade and even exploitation. Even the "simple" act of painting en plein air speaks to evolving class structures and leisure time becoming accessible to some. Editor: That's fascinating; I hadn't considered the global supply chains behind something seemingly so pastoral. The painting feels so… French! Did this style impact production techniques and materiality? Curator: Absolutely. The Impressionists, Lavieille included, were challenging the academic art world with their focus on everyday life and landscapes, made possible by newly portable paint tubes. But, was it radical? Consider the labor involved in manufacturing those tubes. It democratized painting to an extent, but who really benefited? The bourgeois who now could dabble in art, or the workers toiling to create the supplies? What about the rise of art dealers who fostered new relations of labor? Editor: It shifts how I see the 'everyday' subject matter, knowing there are complex factors underneath it. It is an artwork dependent on a society ripe for change and, perhaps, blind to its flaws. Curator: Exactly. It reveals art's entanglement with evolving modes of production, consumption and labor practices. Seeing beyond the surface allows a deep understanding of the art and of our contemporary life. Editor: Thinking about materiality this way offers such a tangible, grounded approach to interpreting art. Thank you for making the painting “talk”!