a Fisherman 1896

Leon Wyczółkowski painted ‘A Fisherman’ in oil on canvas. The subject of the painting is a man, presumably a fisherman, holding a fishing net and standing by a body of water. Wyczółkowski’s energetic brushwork is visible across the entire surface, but the textures become much more emphatic in the lower register of the canvas, where he renders the reeds and grasses using thick impasto, applied with the palette knife. This is significant because it speaks to the sheer amount of labor involved in the production process, and the economic context for the fisherman’s toil. While the fisherman's work is likely more physically strenuous, this is contrasted by the artist’s work, which requires just as much labour. By focusing on materials, making, and context we can understand the full meaning of an artwork, and challenge traditional distinctions between fine art and craft.