The Pergola in Spring 

Editor: So, this is "The Pergola in Spring" by Henri Martin, it looks like an oil painting. It’s…tranquil. Almost too tranquil, like a staged peacefulness. What do you see in this piece? Curator: Staged peacefulness is an interesting reading. To me, this work speaks to the constructed nature of leisure for the bourgeoisie at the turn of the century. Look at the composition – the regimented columns, the ordered flowerpots. Doesn't it remind you of attempts to control nature and even human interaction? Editor: Control? I guess the garden feels very contained. Is that something common for Impressionist art, this sort of...underlying commentary? Curator: Not always explicit, but it’s present. Consider Impressionism as emerging during a period of significant social upheaval and class stratification. These scenes of leisure were largely for, and often depicted, a specific class. Who is being excluded from this manicured vision? Editor: So the image isn’t just about pretty flowers, but also about… who gets to enjoy the pretty flowers? And maybe, about who is *creating* them. I hadn’t thought about that. Curator: Exactly. It's also interesting to note that women were often depicted in such leisure settings, perhaps reflecting and reinforcing their restricted roles within that society. Where are the people *here*? Editor: Hmm, so it's not *just* a nice garden. It’s more of a… social landscape. That changes everything. Thanks for pointing that out! Curator: It is always about more than "just" pretty flowers.