Fruit and Vegetables with a Parrot 1869

Eugène Boudin painted 'Fruit and Vegetables with a Parrot' with oils on canvas, a traditional approach used to produce works of fine art. Boudin’s choice of materials, especially his thick application of paint, adds to the image’s opulence, evoking the vibrant and abundant character of these edible materials. Notice the artist's engagement with skilled traditions; the parrot in the painting is an imported good, like the fruits and vegetables, and evokes the wider social issues of colonialism, politics, and consumption. Consider the labor behind the production of this still life - from farming to global trade - all contributing to the construction of luxury and taste, and, ultimately, displayed in the brushstrokes of paint and the artistic skill required to depict them. Ultimately, by considering the material, making, and context in which this painting was produced, we challenge the historical and traditional distinctions between fine art and craft, offering a richer and more complex understanding of the artwork's full meaning.