The Langlois Bridge at Arles 1888

Vincent van Gogh painted this scene of The Langlois Bridge at Arles during his time in France. Here, the artist has captured both the industriousness and the leisure of rural life. Note the women doing their washing in the river, set against the backdrop of horse and cart crossing the bridge. Van Gogh’s choice of subject matter reflects a broader artistic interest in the lives of working people, a theme that resonated through much of nineteenth-century French art. But if we understand the politics of imagery, we might ask whether this idealised vision accurately represents the harsh realities of rural existence at the time. Did the people who lived in this place recognise their own experience in Van Gogh’s vision? If we want to get closer to answering this question, we can consult the local archives of Arles, and delve into the social history of the region.