Jan Kazimierz 1771

Marcello Bacciarelli painted this portrait of Jan Kazimierz in oil on canvas. It’s a familiar medium, but consider what’s required to get paint onto canvas in such a convincing way. Think of the skills involved in preparing the canvas, mixing the pigments, layering them to create realistic skin tones and fabric textures. Then there’s the armour; the way the light catches on its metallic surface is rendered through close observation, the product of many hours of painstaking effort. Bacciarelli was a master of his craft, but the production of a portrait like this also reflects the wider economic context in which he was working. The raw materials had to be sourced, the paints ground and mixed, and the canvas woven. Each stage of this process involved labor, and the final product was a luxury item, accessible only to the wealthiest members of society. Considering the labor and resources required to produce this portrait enriches our appreciation of its artistry, and challenges the perceived divide between fine art and craft.