Kalastajaveneitä 

Elin Danielson-Gambogi painted these fishing boats with oil on canvas. The paint is applied in relatively thin washes, allowing the white of the canvas to illuminate the colors. Consider the subject of the painting, though: boats. Built by hand, of course, with a deep knowledge of wood and the sea. The fishermen are shown in a moment of leisure, but this belies the labor-intensive work that is their daily reality. The quality of light in the painting makes the scene quite idyllic, even as the boats wait to be deployed in difficult and dangerous conditions. The rigging, the painting of the hulls – all of this testifies to hours of patient craftsmanship. Danielson-Gambogi could have chosen other subjects, but the presence of these boats insists on the importance of considering the conditions of labor, as well as the value of experience and skill. By attending to the material qualities of the artwork, and the realities of its subject, we can move beyond simply considering the surface appeal of the painting.