The red corset 

Silvestro Lega likely painted this portrait of a young woman reading using oil paints on canvas, a common choice at the time. The smooth, almost porcelain-like finish on the figure's skin is achieved through careful layering and blending of the paint. Consider the labor involved in preparing the canvas, grinding the pigments, and applying the paint in such a controlled manner. The striking red of her dress, achieved with pigments that would have been carefully sourced and mixed, draws your eye. Note how the folds and gathers of the fabric are rendered with subtle variations in tone and texture. Lega has taken the formal language of fine art painting to give dignity to an everyday domestic scene. This emphasis on the material reality of labor and everyday life, challenges traditional hierarchies within art history.