Les Bords De La Bièvre 1875

Armand Guillaumin painted Les Bords De La Bièvre with oil on canvas. The painting depicts a tannery on the banks of the Bièvre River near Paris, a scene of industry in an otherwise idyllic landscape. In France at the time, the art world was beginning to embrace industrial and urban subjects, but not without some debate over what constituted appropriate subject matter. The thick smoke emanating from the chimney raises questions about how industrial progress and its environmental impact were perceived at the time. Was this considered a sign of prosperity or a cause for concern? The Bièvre River was heavily polluted due to the tanneries and other industries along its banks, which makes Guillaumin's choice of subject particularly interesting. Did he aim to capture the social realities of working-class life, or to make a statement about environmental degradation? Answering these questions requires delving into the social and economic history of the region. We can consult local archives, historical maps, and industrial records to gain a deeper understanding of the artwork's complex relationship to its time.