Elijah Brush 

Rembrandt Peale made this portrait of Elijah Brush using oil paint, a medium with a rich history. The smooth, almost porcelain finish gives the subject a composed and idealized appearance. Oil paint allows for meticulous blending, creating subtle gradations of light and shadow on Brush’s face, bringing a sense of volume and presence. This required an immense amount of labor, from grinding the pigment to layering translucent glazes. The work is highly specialized, part of a long lineage of academic training. The materiality of the painting also hints at its social context. This is the era of the Industrial Revolution, yet portraiture remained a handcraft. The wealthy elite often sought out artists to immortalize their likenesses, highlighting the value placed on individual identity and status. Paying attention to the materials and techniques involved challenges the traditional hierarchy between art and craft, underscoring the amount of human labor involved in the production of an artwork.