Landmark 1892

Santiago Rusiñol’s "Landmark" is an oil on canvas, using traditional painting methods to capture a moment in time. Here, the material qualities of oil paint – its capacity for blending and layering – are put to good use. Notice the way Rusiñol builds up the sun-drenched path with subtle variations of tone. The effect is tactile; you can almost feel the warmth radiating from the canvas. The way the light falls also emphasizes the contrast between the smooth, refined finish of the painted surface and the implied roughness of the landscape. "Landmark" invites us to consider the labor involved in producing an image, not just the labor of the artist, but also the unseen work that shapes the landscape itself: the cultivation of fields, the construction of roads, the movement of goods and people. Rusiñol reminds us that even the most seemingly idyllic scenes are rooted in the material realities of everyday life.