Major Healey, Wearing Raby Hunt Uniform, Riding with the Sedgefield Hunt c. 1833

Editor: So, this is John Ferneley's "Major Healey, Wearing Raby Hunt Uniform, Riding with the Sedgefield Hunt." It’s quite striking, especially the way the horse and rider are rendered in such vibrant reds. What's your perspective on it? Curator: Look closely at the production of this image. Oil paint, a commodity, used to depict another commodity: leisure and status. Notice the precise brushwork on the uniform; it signifies wealth and the social rituals surrounding the hunt. Editor: So, you're saying the painting itself is a product, reflecting the values of the time? Curator: Precisely. The materiality speaks volumes about the consumption and display of social class in early 19th-century England. It makes you wonder about the labor involved in both the hunt and its representation. Editor: That’s a different way of looking at it than I expected, but it makes a lot of sense! Curator: Thinking about the materials and production gives a fuller picture.