Voitures et charrettes attelées 1895 - 1905

Editor: This is Frédéric Houbron’s, "Voitures et charrettes attelées," a watercolor drawing from between 1895 and 1905. It seems to be an outdoor sketch of horse-drawn carts. I'm struck by how quickly it was rendered, you can almost feel the artist capturing a fleeting moment. What do you see here? Curator: This plein-air work provides valuable insight into Houbron’s artistic practice and the socio-economic context of the time. Consider the labor implied in both the creation and the subject. The raw materials – paper, watercolor – speak to a certain level of accessibility, perhaps even democratisation of art production compared to oil painting, what do you think? Editor: That’s interesting, the availability of the materials shapes the art itself. I see how the quick, sketch-like quality can be connected to the relative ease of using watercolor outdoors. What about the subject matter of carts and horses, what are they made of? Curator: Exactly! The wagons themselves are a product of carpentry and metalwork. Note the social context of horse-drawn vehicles; were these commercial carts, or perhaps part of the leisure class? Either way, this speaks to specific modes of production, transportation, and even class distinctions visible through the everyday objects. Are those actual conveyances of goods, or are those materials of production of travel and leisure, that we, the audience can now consume in our museums? Editor: It's like Houbron captured the labor that built the world around him, while employing labor through his art! Curator: Precisely. The drawing acts as both an image *of* labor and a product *of* artistic labour. The materiality here, the watercolor’s transparency itself hints at its ability to bring insight, and the materiality points to the underlying processes shaping society at the time. Editor: Thanks, I see it completely differently now. Curator: Wonderful. Understanding these processes enriches our interpretation significantly.