House below hill 

Rupert Bunny made 'House below hill' as an oil painting on canvas at an unknown date. The image captures a scene in which architecture and nature are sensitively balanced. Born in Australia, Bunny spent most of his career in Europe, particularly in France. His work can be situated within a broader history of artists who travelled internationally, often seeking out new ideas. Bunny's European paintings reflect the popularity of impressionism and post-impressionism and speak to the growth of the international art market. But more particularly, the image creates meaning through visual codes and cultural references that indicate not just Bunny's interests, but also those of his patrons. His interest in the European landscape points to a growing sense of cosmopolitanism that came with a growing international art scene. As art historians, we can access letters, diaries and exhibition reviews that help us to better understand Bunny’s world, and to reflect on the social conditions that shape artistic production. In this way we can properly understand art as something contingent on social and institutional context.