Introduction of Jacob to Isaac 

Luca Giordano created this painting of the Introduction of Jacob to Isaac using oil on canvas. This was the standard medium for ambitious paintings in Giordano’s time. Here, Giordano applied paint with assurance, using a limited range of earth tones, and building highlights with thick impasto. Look closely, and you can see the movement in Isaac’s beard, rendered in expressive strokes. The quality of this work lies in its efficient handling. The artist had to be supremely confident to get this effect. While Giordano did not use any unconventional materials or processes, it's important to understand the social context of his creative practice. He had assistants doing the underpainting, mixing pigments, and preparing canvases, and a large workshop to manage. This was a business as much as an artistic activity, with paintings being produced for wealthy patrons. Understanding the labor and the industrial aspect behind paintings like this helps us appreciate the division of labor and the entrepreneurial spirit that shaped the art world.