Landscape with fencing 

Isaac Levitan created this evocative landscape with oil paint applied to canvas. The artist’s brushstrokes are thick, creating a tangible sense of texture. Notice how the wooden fence in the foreground is rendered with visible layers of paint, emphasizing its rough and weathered surface. This close attention to the materiality of the fence, and indeed the whole landscape, speaks volumes. The artist’s engagement with the texture of the landscape and the visible traces of labor embedded within it brings us closer to the everyday lives of those who inhabit this rural setting, with the clothes drying in the sun as a testament to daily chores. Levitan challenges the traditional hierarchy between fine art and craft by elevating the mundane and highlighting the beauty found in the ordinary. By focusing on the materials, the making process, and the social context, we gain a deeper understanding of the artwork's meaning, blurring the lines between fine art and craft.