Landscape at Port-Villez 1885

Claude Monet created this landscape painting at Port-Villez, France using oil on canvas. The image is full of meaning and visual codes that link to France’s specific cultural and historical context during Monet’s life. The mid-19th century in France was a period of rapid industrialization and urbanization that changed the country’s environment. Yet it was also an era where the countryside was appreciated as a place of leisure. Here we see the impact of that social change on the function of art. The brushstrokes aren't polished; they show the artist's presence. This was in stark contrast to the very formal and traditional academic painting that was popular in France at the time. The landscape becomes a space in which to think about the changing face of France and the changing role of art. The archives of the time give a sense of the changing critical environment and what was at stake for artists like Monet.