Moulin Bouchardon, Crozant 1905

Armand Guillaumin’s “Moulin Bouchardon, Crozant” is an exploration into the French landscape through the materiality of paint. The thick application of oil paint, dragged and dabbed across the canvas, speaks to the physical act of painting. The texture mimics the rugged terrain of Crozant; the peaks and valleys of the landscape are rendered visible through the ridges of paint. Guillaumin wasn't afraid to let his mark-making be visible, and he was clearly enthralled by the materiality of his chosen medium. The brushwork, visible in every stroke, underscores the artist’s engagement with the landscape, as he applied the viscous material to canvas. In this way, he brings us closer to not just what was represented, but the labour involved in the painting itself. The act of painting becomes a performative gesture, blurring boundaries between representation, and embodied experience. By emphasizing the physicality of paint and artistic process, the work challenges our perceptions of landscape painting, elevating materiality to center stage.