The Student 1874

Francisco Oller painted 'The Student' with oil on canvas; though undated, the painting likely comes from his time studying in Paris in the 1850s or 60s. It depicts a couple at study in what appears to be a cramped Parisian garret. Consider the setting: the crowded space and the rather worn floral wallpaper; the paintings hung salon-style on the walls. These visual details create meaning, alluding to bohemian life in the Parisian art world. Oller came to France from Puerto Rico, and his time in France put him in contact with the Realist and Impressionist movements. Though he would later open a free art academy in Puerto Rico, here, he seems to be interested in commenting on the social structures of his own time in Paris by depicting the daily life of the 'student' class, capturing an intimate view of contemporary artists, writers, and intellectuals. The historian considers such biographical details alongside the material history of the painting and the cultural history of its time to better understand the artist's intention. As such, the meaning of art is always contingent on its social and institutional context.