Shelter on Montmartre 1887

Vincent van Gogh painted Shelter on Montmartre with oil on canvas, possibly in 1886. At the time, Montmartre was a rapidly changing area on the outskirts of Paris, still somewhat rural, but attracting many artists to its cheaper rents. The image offers a view up a gentle slope toward a temporary metal shelter, surrounded by vegetation and a low fence. But why choose this subject? We have to remember that Van Gogh was interested in the lives of ordinary people, and in the margins of society. Here, he seems to be critiquing the relentless march of modernity in late 19th-century France. He draws attention to the way that industrial materials are starting to shape the landscape of even the most humble neighborhoods. Historians might want to research property records or census data to get a better sense of the area and the people who lived there. This artwork reminds us that even seemingly simple landscape paintings can be powerful statements about social change.