Femme Au Canard 1891

Theodore Robinson created *Femme Au Canard* with oil paints. It is a traditional medium of fine art. Impressionist painters like Robinson were deeply interested in capturing light and atmosphere. Look closely and notice the textured brushstrokes, which create a play of light and shadow on the canvas, evoking a momentary and fleeting impression of the scene. The paint is applied with a loose, gestural technique, rather than smooth, blended surfaces. We get a sense of how quickly and directly he translated his perception onto the canvas. The making of Impressionist paintings were often tied to ideas of leisure, escape, and observation, as the artists moved away from traditional studio practices to capture fleeting moments of everyday life. The work embodies a shift towards a more immediate, subjective, and sensory approach to art. Paying attention to the making of an artwork helps us understand how it communicates meaning, challenging traditional distinctions between fine art and craft.