Coin de forêt 1850 - 1860

Félix Ziem created this painting, Coin de forêt, with oil on canvas. It’s a view of a forest corner, a traditional subject made with traditional fine art materials. Look closely at the surface, and you’ll see that it is built up from many small brushstrokes. Oil paint, in the 19th century, had become highly refined and readily available in tubes. This allowed artists like Ziem to work with great speed, even outdoors, quickly capturing an impression of the scene. The very fact that the artist painted the work, without the intervention of any kind of industrial manufacturing, gave the painting the aura of originality and authenticity. Paintings like this were acquired by wealthy individuals to demonstrate their refined taste, and also as a pure aesthetic pleasure. Yet we can also appreciate the directness and spontaneity that Ziem achieved through his mastery of oil paint, a material whose inherent qualities of color, texture, and viscosity allowed him to quickly capture an impression of the natural world. It’s a reminder that even the most straightforward landscape painting is the product of specific materials, processes, and social contexts.