Young Woman Holding a Mask 1725

Jean-Baptiste Santerre painted this portrait in oil on canvas, demonstrating his technical skill with the established medium of the time. However, looking closely, the painting presents a very particular kind of labour. The smooth surface, finely gradated tones, and careful attention to detail – all are indicative of the artist’s mastery. Look closer, and you can see the soft velvet of the sitter’s gown and the intricate lace trim of her sleeves, and the sheen on the mask. Santerre’s skill creates an illusion of material richness, indicative of the sitter's high social status. But consider also, this painting is itself a material object, and thus has its own labour embedded within it. The canvas had to be woven, stretched, and primed; the pigments ground and mixed with oil. All these processes speak to the labour involved in the creation of a work of art. By considering these processes, we understand the cultural significance of the painting, and the social and economic context in which it was created. It challenges us to look beyond the surface and appreciate the material and labour that underpin all works of art.