Flower Market in Front of the Madeleine Church in Paris 1890

Józef Pankiewicz made this painting of a flower market in Paris using oil paint on canvas. Here, the loose brushstrokes and vibrant colors typical of impressionism are front and center. But consider also what is depicted: a commercial transaction, with vendors selling perishable goods to passersby. This scene is an important piece of material culture. We see not only the flowers, but also the tents, buckets, and even the clothing of the shoppers and vendors. These elements, all made from different materials through different processes, combine to create a picture of Parisian life in motion. Moreover, the painting itself is an object produced through a combination of skill, labor, and commerce. Pankiewicz captured this moment and aestheticized it with paint. So next time you are in a flower market, consider the labor involved in its existence, from those who grow and cut the flowers, to those who arrange and sell them; and also consider the role of the artist in documenting such scenes.