The Trinity with Souls in Purgatory c. early 1740s

Corrado Giaquinto made this painting, "The Trinity with Souls in Purgatory," on canvas, sometime in the 1700s. Consider the smooth surface, achieved through layers of oil paint carefully applied. The canvas is almost invisible. Giaquinto has completely mastered the art of illusion, creating a vision of the divine. The almost airbrushed effect is far removed from the labor-intensive, material realities of its making. Yet, the painting is, in fact, a product of skilled labor. Think of the canvas, woven thread by thread, stretched, and primed. Consider the pigments, mined, ground, and mixed with oil. And finally, the artist himself, trained for years to achieve this level of skill. In this way, even a painting of the heavens is tied to earthly concerns of work, skill, and commerce. Recognizing the effort involved allows us to appreciate the true value of this kind of artwork. It helps us look beyond the celestial vision and toward the human endeavor that made it possible.