Gezicht op Port-Marly aan de Seine, met het washuis Possibly 1880 - 1889

This watercolor, "Gezicht op Port-Marly aan de Seine, met het washuis," was made by Johan Conrad Greive, and it presents a seemingly serene waterside view. But the appearance of smoke stacks in the distance reveals that industry is never far away. Watercolor painting is a quick, portable medium, favored for its ability to capture fleeting impressions. It is achieved by suspending fine pigments in water, and applying them in translucent washes, one over another. The effect in the image is soft, almost hazy. But consider what’s being depicted. Not an unspoiled landscape, but a place of labor and industry. We see rowers enjoying recreation on the river, perhaps oblivious to the belching factory chimneys in the background. Even the "washuis," or wash-house, in the work's title, speaks to the labor of laundry work. In this subtle work, Greive reminds us that even leisure is made possible by labor.