Shepherd Herding Sheep in a Misty Landscape 

Editor: This landscape, "Shepherd Herding Sheep in a Misty Landscape," is by Granville Redmond and appears to be rendered in oil paint. I find the atmospheric perspective really compelling; the mist almost obscures the trees in the background. What aspects of this work strike you the most? Curator: Well, let's consider the materiality. Redmond worked en plein air, which means this canvas was exposed to the elements. How might that inform our understanding of labor? The very process of painting outdoors involves battling light, wind, and shifting conditions. Editor: That’s interesting. So the materials themselves are implicated in the working conditions of the artist? I hadn't really thought about plein air painting in terms of labor like that before. Curator: Exactly. Think about the availability of materials, too. Where did Redmond source his pigments and canvases? Were they mass-produced or handcrafted? What does that say about his place within the larger art market of the time? Even the brushstrokes themselves can tell us something. Are they economical or lavish? Quick or deliberate? How might the artist's choices regarding technique mirror social relations around work? Editor: So it's not just about the final image, but really about the conditions of its production and the implications that arise from material choices and their connection to cultural context. I’ll have to rethink landscape painting now! Curator: Precisely! Considering art through a materialist lens offers such a rewarding entry point for interpreting this art. It makes the whole history far more rich and layered.