Lisbon art of choice - The Fisherman

For my art of choice in Lisbon, I chose the piece called “The Fisherman” by Constant Troyon. As the description next to the piece said, this was an oil on canvas piece done in 1850. When I saw this, it immediately captured my eye and I fell in love. I admire the simplicity of it. The fisherman on the river with the beautiful background. The colored trees and the contrast between the water and grass and the light sky was captivating to me. Even looking back on the picture I took as I’m writing this, I’m falling more in love with it. When I look at this piece, I feel at peace, like I’m in the picture and the birds are chirping and the water is running. I think the colors and the different shadows and highlights create this feeling, and I absolutely love it. 


I think “The Fisherman” by Constant Troyon is important both historically and culturally for a number of reasons. Most significantly, it reflects the shift towards naturalism in paintings, which wasn’t very common at the time. This piece captures the pastoral life and the French countryside during industrialization (WikiArt). The display of light and atmosphere helped enhance the landscape and genre scenes, which also challenged the dominance of historical themes. This painting represents the moment in art history where every life started to seem “important enough” to turn into artistic expression. 


In my opinion, “The Fisherman” by Constant Troyon enhances the city’s status as a cultural capital in a few ways. First, it displays Lisbon's rich artistic heritage. As a work by a well-known 19th century painter, it highlights and focuses on the city’s commitment to preserving and celebrating art like his. The painting being in many local museums and galleries shows the city’s dedication to foster cultural appreciation and education. In addition, it shows the everyday culture of Lisbon, and simple life. This adds to the city’s status as it makes it feel a little more “normal” in a unique way!


Yay! 

Sophie


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