The Bourg-de-batz Church Under the Moon 

Ferdinand du Puigaudeau's painting captures a church in Bourg-de-Batz under moonlight, achieved with oil on canvas. The visible brushstrokes and layering of paint add to the scene's mystical and romantic feel. The materiality of oil paint allows for a richness of color and depth, but also speaks to the labor involved. Applying each layer, blending hues, and building textures would have been painstaking, physical work. Du Puigaudeau was part of the Post-Impressionist movement, which was known for its departure from the traditional, academic painting techniques of its time. By emphasizing the material quality of paint and the act of applying it, artists like Du Puigaudeau brought attention to the physical process of art-making, almost elevating the importance of craft and manual skill. In this way, he challenges the conventional hierarchy between fine art and craft.