The Fire 

Jean-Paul Laurens created this oil painting, titled "The Fire," during the late 19th or early 20th century. Laurens employed traditional artistic materials, using brushes and oil paints to depict a scene of intense drama. The texture of the painting is visibly rough, created by layering paint in thick impasto to capture the chaotic movement of the figures and the overall turmoil of the event. Considered a history painter, Laurens often used these familiar materials to highlight forgotten moments of injustice and oppression. Notice how he has imbued this work with a sense of social significance by documenting a scene of persecution and violence. By using the traditional medium of oil paint, he situates his work within a broader history of academic painting, while at the same time using his subject matter to critique power structures. Thinking about the materials and the making of the work reminds us that even traditional forms of art can be used to challenge the status quo and address important social issues.