Mrs. Thomas Gage 1771

John Singleton Copley painted "Mrs. Thomas Gage" with oil on canvas. Consider the luxurious textiles that drape Mrs. Gage: the plush, velvet-upholstered couch, secured with tiny brass tacks, the sheen of her silken dress. These materials speak volumes about wealth and status, made possible by global trade networks and colonial exploitation. The artist's skill in rendering these textures reflects not just his technical ability, but also the social values of his time, where surfaces communicated so much. Note also how much labor is represented, indirectly: from the cultivation of silk to the mining of metals, and the handwork required to produce these finished goods. Copley’s painting aestheticizes all of this labor, transforming raw materials into a vision of aristocratic leisure. Examining the material culture within this painting encourages us to consider the complex connections between art, labor, and social hierarchy in the 18th century.