Bathsheba Receiving David s Letter 

Jan Steen's "Bathsheba Receiving David's Letter" is a 17th-century oil painting, a period when the medium was reaching new heights of sophistication. But look closely at the textures here. The sheen of Bathsheba’s golden bodice, the rough, dark fabric of the old woman’s cloak. These aren’t just illusions; Steen built them up with layers of paint. The richness of the fabrics worn by the figures emphasizes status and wealth, important subjects for painters in the Dutch Golden Age, when the merchant class was asserting its power. Consider too, the labor involved. Grinding pigments, mixing them with oil, applying them with a brush, all to create a convincing depiction of a scene. The skills and materials involved in this process weren’t cheap, and they speak to the painting’s place in a complex economy of art production and consumption. Ultimately, Steen's choices of materials and techniques are not just aesthetic decisions, they're historical ones, revealing much about the culture and commerce of his time.