Bringing home the flock 1881

Curator: Editor: Here we have Paul Peel’s “Bringing Home the Flock,” painted in 1881. It depicts a young woman herding geese, rendered with visible brushstrokes. What do you see in this piece, considering the cultural context of its production? Curator: From a materialist perspective, I’m struck by the accessibility of this scene and how that relates to the emerging plein-air style. Oil paint became more portable at this time, shifting both artistic creation and what subjects became 'paintable'. Peel chose to portray a simple subject, working-class life, something not often elevated in the official Salons. We see not just the image, but the very labor and resources necessary for its creation. It brings the raw, everydayness of 19th-century rural life directly to the canvas. Don't you think so? Editor: Yes, and it’s interesting to consider how the medium, readily available oil paint, democratized art subjects. Do you think Peel's use of oil on canvas, rather than a more ‘precious’ material, contributed to a sense of realism, connecting the image to the economic reality of the subject? Curator: Absolutely. Peel’s choice of materials and technique reinforces a view into a specific sector of society. The paint application, visible and unpretentious, reinforces that materiality. Moreover, who owned the flock of geese, and were these goose down and fat used? What class benefited from their use and products? It's more than just geese on a road; it’s labor and materials. Editor: So, the very accessibility of the medium, and the scene, opens up conversations about production and consumption in a much wider context. Curator: Exactly! Seeing beyond just aesthetics and really looking into what made this art possible is key to the work.