Study of Pigs
1855
oil
From the collection of Art Institute of Chicago
1855
oil
From the collection of Art Institute of Chicago
Study of Pigs is a 1855 oil by Alexandre Gabriel Decamps, a Impressionism work, held at Art Institute of Chicago.
You see three pigs in a muddy pen, one scratching its ear with a hind hoof. Decamps painted animals like people—no cute poses, just pigs being pigs. The scratch is so real you can almost hear it. He worked fast, on paper instead of canvas, to catch that quick moment before it vanished. Look up the technique called *impasto* next—thick paint that stands up off the surface, just like the mud in this pen.
