Landscape At Sunset, 1849 

Arnold Böcklin made this landscape at sunset in 1849, likely with oil paint on canvas. The material here, though traditional for painting, is treated in a way that reveals process. Notice the visible brushstrokes, the textured application of paint that gives the landscape its ruggedness. This isn't a smooth, idealized scene. Instead, it's a raw, almost tactile depiction of nature. Consider how the artist's hand shaped the materiality of the paint. It's almost as if the labor of creation is embedded in the final image. The very act of applying paint becomes part of the artwork's meaning, evoking a sense of the artist’s physical engagement with his work. So next time you look at a painting, remember it's not just an image, but a record of a process, a testament to the artist's labor and the inherent qualities of the materials themselves. By emphasizing the materiality and making of an artwork, we can challenge traditional distinctions between fine art and craft.