Fishing Boats off Pourville 1882

Claude Monet created Fishing Boats off Pourville in France, a country undergoing rapid social and economic change in the late nineteenth century. This oil painting, with its visible brushstrokes and focus on light, departs from the academic painting styles favored by the French Salon. Monet’s impressionistic technique, capturing a fleeting moment in time, reflects a broader cultural shift. It moves away from depicting established historical and mythological themes towards representing everyday life and the natural world. The art market was also changing; artists were seeking independence from state-sponsored institutions and creating new venues to exhibit and sell their work. Knowing this institutional history helps us understand what kind of social statement is being made through its formal qualities. Studying the context in which art is made helps us better understand its meaning. We need to draw on a range of historical and cultural sources to do that.