River Scene with Barges and Figures 1870

Johan Barthold Jongkind created this painting, River Scene with Barges and Figures, using oil paints. The qualities of oil allow for subtlety of light, and precision of detail. We see laborers by the river, with their industrial counterparts in the background. Jongkind seems especially attuned to those caught between the old and new economies: the workers and their animals to the left, barges in the centre of the composition, and industry in the distance. The boats occupy the foreground, positioned on the bank of a river like the Thames, busy with maritime traffic. The smoke stack on the horizon and presence of figures suggests that these waterways were crucial transport routes for manufactured products, a direct index of the amount of work involved in the production process. Jongkind captured the transition from a world of manual labor to one of machine production. It's a reminder of the critical role materials, making, and social context play in understanding the full meaning of any artwork, challenging distinctions between fine art and craft.