Paris in the snow 1894

Curator: Here we have Paul Gauguin's "Paris in the Snow," created in 1894 using oil paint and the impasto technique. Editor: There's something about the thickly applied paint that gives it such a raw and textural feel, a very tangible reality to the wintery scene. What’s your read on this painting? Curator: Well, considering a materialist lens, I’m drawn to consider Gauguin’s means of production. The visible impasto—the very labor of applying that oil paint— challenges this romanticized view of Paris, pointing towards the physical act of creation itself and away from purely representational art. It also invites considering: what paints were accessible? Where did Gauguin source them and at what cost? Editor: That’s interesting, I hadn’t considered that. I guess I was just seeing a snowy cityscape. What else do you notice? Curator: Note the dominance of the cityscape and its stark angles; how do they contrast to that bare tree sprawling across the view? Does that strike you as commentary? To me, the tree represents an imposition of the natural on an industrialized space. In 1894, how prevalent were manufactured products, and who had access to them? Editor: It is such a fascinating perspective when considering accessibility, because now I see this contrast of urban structure versus the organic material of that tree and the snow itself. The materials create that friction for us, don’t they? Curator: Precisely! By interrogating materiality, we see a socio-political landscape emerging beneath the snow. Editor: Thanks for the insights! Now I’ll be sure to think twice about materiality! Curator: The pleasure was mine. It’s essential to think about how art reflects – and is made of – the world around it.