Daphnis et Chloe 1899

Lucien Pissarro created this wood engraving, Daphnis et Chloe, at the turn of the twentieth century, a time when artists were looking back to the classical world for inspiration. The image depicts a scene of idealized rural labor, recalling ancient Greece. It evokes a sense of harmony between humans and nature. But look closely, and you can see the figures are not just generic classical types. Pissarro was deeply involved in the Arts and Crafts movement in Britain. This movement rejected industrialization and embraced traditional crafts. In that light, this image can be seen to comment on the social structures of its own time, self-consciously looking back to an imagined pre-industrial past. It critiques the institutions of modern art by embracing older techniques. The history of art has taught us that the meaning of art is contingent on social and institutional context. To learn more, investigate the history of the Arts and Crafts Movement.