Music, Interior from Paris 1887

Harriet Backer made this painting in Paris, likely in 1887. The scene is rendered with oil paint, a material with a rich history that stretches back centuries, yet was also utterly contemporary at the time. Notice the relatively loose, brushy application of the paint itself. Backer doesn't try to disguise the materiality of her medium, leaving the texture of the brushstrokes apparent. This approach has a double effect. It gives the scene an air of informality and immediacy. But it also draws attention to the act of painting itself, the means by which the artist has represented this interior and its occupants. With its subdued palette and focus on a domestic scene, the painting may seem straightforward. But by foregrounding the labor involved in its creation, Backer asks us to consider not just what is depicted, but how that depiction came to be. She elevates what might otherwise be considered a simple genre scene to a sophisticated reflection on art making.