Rue des Bruyères, à Sèvres 1868

Félix Bracquemond created this print of Rue des Bruyères in Sèvres, France, using etching. Here, the artist has captured the light as it falls on a simple country road, and he’s done so with great technical sophistication. What is the public role of such an image? The late 19th century was a time of rapid industrialization and urbanization, and one way artists responded was with scenes of rural life that are offered as a kind of refuge. Sèvres itself was the location of a royal porcelain factory that, by the 19th century, was mass-producing luxury goods for the bourgeoisie. In this context, Bracquemond’s landscape can be understood as a subtle critique of institutional values, and a celebration of an alternative vision of French culture. To fully understand a work like this, the art historian draws on a range of resources to place the art in its full social and institutional context.