A View Of Cairo 1889

Laurits Tuxen created this oil-on-canvas painting, titled "A View of Cairo". Oil paint is a fascinating material, with a slow drying time that allows for layers and blending. Look closely, and you'll see how Tuxen used thick brushstrokes, almost like he's sculpting the desert landscape. The textured surfaces of the rocks and buildings emerge from the canvas, giving depth to the scene. The choice of oil paint itself is significant. By the late 19th century, it was widely available, commercially produced and ready-made for artists to buy in tubes, reflecting industrial advancements. The painting style, with its visible brushwork, suggests a direct and personal interaction with the scene, perhaps made on site. It is a reminder that even a seemingly straightforward landscape painting is deeply intertwined with the social and material conditions of its time. Considering the materials and methods used to create this painting, it encourages us to reconsider traditional views of fine art.