The Mussel Harvest 1879

Pierre-Auguste Renoir made this landscape painting, "The Mussel Harvest", at some point in his career, though the exact date is uncertain. It depicts figures walking along a path and heading towards a village. We can see a church at the back. It's not a grand scene. Instead, it shows people engaged in manual labor. This type of subject reflects a shift in art during the late 19th century in France, with artists turning their attention to the lives of ordinary people. It was a moment when the rapidly growing art market, fuelled by new wealth, began to value scenes of everyday life rather than just historical or mythological subjects. To understand this painting fully, we need to delve deeper into the social history of rural France, looking at how the growth of cities changed the relationship between urban and rural life. Archival research and studies of the art market are really important in placing these artworks in their correct social context. By doing so, we can reflect on what this image tells us about the changing values of French society at that time.