Henriette Feuerbach, the artist’s stepmother 1871

Anselm Feuerbach painted this portrait of his stepmother, Henriette, using oil on canvas. The deep, rich color comes from the slow layering of thin glazes, a traditional technique demanding time and skill. Notice how the fluid brushstrokes create a sense of depth, particularly in the rendering of Henriette’s face. It’s a classical approach, but not without its politics. The time-intensive nature of oil painting meant that it was historically a preserve of the wealthy and those they patronized, but also that the resultant portrait would last generations. The delicate lace of Henriette’s veil, meticulously painted, speaks to both her social standing and the artist’s technical prowess. Though not as overt as some artistic mediums, paint can still be appreciated as a material and its applications as a process, each as meaningful as the image it creates. Ultimately, Feuerbach’s portrait reminds us that even the most seemingly straightforward paintings are products of labor, skill, and specific social conditions.