Married Life 1912

Roger de La Fresnaye’s ‘Married Life’ is an oil painting on canvas. Look closely, and you’ll notice how the artist rendered the painting in flat planes of color, giving it an almost architectural feel. The way La Fresnaye builds up the image is reminiscent of the assembly of a building or a piece of furniture. The choice of oil paint is significant; its slow drying time allows for layering and blending, crucial to achieving the nuanced tones and subtle gradations that define the forms. In the early 20th century, when this work was made, there was increased debate about the role of art and the relationship between domestic and professional life. La Fresnaye's process involves a kind of "constructing" rather than simply "representing," which underscores the manufactured nature of social roles and the constructed aspects of modern relationships. This challenges traditional distinctions between fine art and craft. The painting’s subject matter combined with its method forces us to consider how the material and the making can inform our understanding of social context.