Women Outside The Church At Ruokolahti 1887

Albert Edelfelt created this painting with oil on canvas; a common fine art practice that has existed for centuries. What is interesting about this piece is how Edelfelt's approach to material and process elevates ordinary life through an academic skill. The subjects of the painting are peasants, and while some critics may say the painting idealizes their existence, Edelfelt is using the exact same artistic vocabulary to depict the women, as would be used to paint royalty. Looking at the composition, you can see that the artist created an image in which labor and class are central. The painting becomes a document of their labor, through Edelfelt's labor. It's a challenge to traditional notions of art, and through the making, through the process of crafting a scene, Edelfelt has imbued dignity, and a kind of quiet power, to these women who are otherwise often overlooked in art history.