Park in Paris 1904

Editor: Here we have Auguste Herbin's "Park in Paris" from 1904. It’s an oil painting, a scene of leisure; a couple sits on a bench in a park. What really strikes me is the almost mosaic-like quality of the brushstrokes, the ground looks like a patterned carpet. What do you make of this painting? Curator: I see a celebration of labor, strangely enough. Consider the repetitive, almost meditative act of applying each individual brushstroke. This process transforms industrial oil paint, a mass-produced material, into something unique. Look at the way the ground plane is built up - the materiality emphasizes the artist’s physical interaction with the canvas. Do you see any indication about the economic class of people or materials presented? Editor: The people do look to be middle class based on dress. I imagine good-quality oil paints like this were available to more people during this period because of industrial production. The visible brushstrokes highlight that labor you mention. Curator: Exactly! This work blurs the line between high art and craft by showcasing the repetitive handwork involved in its creation. Even the subject matter is significant, don’t you think? It is a park - a designed space, enjoyed by all classes, funded through the civic taxation. The painting documents, then celebrates, public expenditure of wealth and labor for community good! Editor: It’s not just an impressionistic scene of Parisian life then, it's almost an analysis of the art production in dialogue with the society’s conditions. That's a fresh perspective, thank you. Curator: And you highlighted how industrialization has affected accessibility to tools, means, and venues for the common good!