Girl Feeding Pigs 1800

Richard Westall made this watercolor, "Girl Feeding Pigs," on paper. It might seem worlds away from the Industrial Revolution, but the work's very medium speaks to a changing social reality. Westall has handled his materials with care and skill, the delicate application of watercolor washes creating a hazy, idyllic scene. The image itself, a young girl engaged in agricultural labor, tells us something about class and labor division in the late 18th century. However, the choice of watercolor, a medium becoming increasingly available and popular at this time, offers another clue. The rise of commercial paper production meant that watercolor painting was no longer only for the wealthy elite. It became a pastime, and a means of artistic expression, accessible to a broader segment of society. By considering the social context of artistic materials, we can gain a deeper understanding of the artwork itself. In the hands of Westall, humble materials reveal stories of labor, class, and consumption.