Drying Nets 1872

Alfred Sisley, a British artist working in France, painted this canvas showing nets drying by a river, using oil on canvas. The image captures a slice of rural, working-class life in France, a subject that gained prominence with the rise of Realism in the mid-19th century. Sisley, however, imbues it with the fleeting atmospheric effects so central to Impressionism. Note how the artist’s brushstrokes don't just depict objects but also reflect the changing qualities of light and atmosphere. We might ask, what's the politics of such attention to the ephemeral? Does it reinforce the status quo, or does it offer a quiet commentary on social and environmental transformation? Art historians delve into exhibition reviews, artists’ correspondence, and economic data to understand the context in which artists like Sisley worked and to better understand the meaning of art as something deeply rooted in social and institutional forces.