Sea Wall 

Jacques-Émile Blanche created this painting, "Sea Wall", using oil paints and brushes. Notice the artist’s textured application of the paint and the visible brushstrokes across the canvas. This technique, known as impasto, captures the essence of a bustling seaside scene, yet at the same time, emphasizes the materiality of the painting itself. Blanche masterfully blends colors to evoke the light and atmosphere of the coastal environment, but what is truly striking about this artwork is the way in which the artist evokes the leisure of the well-to-do in a modern industrialized setting. The application of oil paint, a readily available manufactured product, allowed Blanche to capture the spontaneity and vibrancy of modern life in a painting such as this one. In that sense, he was as much a consumer as a creator. Thinking about the materials, making, and context allows us to understand how artists like Blanche challenge traditional distinctions between fine art and craft.