Springtime on the Terrace 

Ernest Meissonier made this small painting with oil on panel, likely sometime in the mid-19th century. Meissonier was known for his incredible eye for detail and meticulous technique. Look closely and you can see the layering of translucent glazes. The surface is built up, stroke by stroke, to create the figures and their garments. These rendering skills, and the tremendous amount of labor they imply, were highly valued in the 19th-century art world. But think about the relationship between labor and leisure on display here. Two privileged men relax and enjoy themselves, while a traveling musician hopes for a handout. Meissonier has lavished much attention on all three figures, but he has also subtly embedded a class hierarchy within the very fabric of the painting. The artist’s technique underscores this theme, demanding time and training, and thus symbolizing his own elevated position. So, next time you look at a painting, consider the labor involved, and how it might reflect social relations beyond the frame.