?Sir Willoughby Gordon and his Daughter Julia, Cooking on a Griddle at Puckaster, near Niton, Isle of Wight 1822

Editor: This sketch by Sir David Wilkie, shows Sir Willoughby Gordon and his daughter cooking at Puckaster. The gray tones and sketchy lines give it an informal feel. What strikes you about the materials and process? Curator: The focus on a domestic scene involving labor immediately shifts our attention to the social context. Wilkie used readily available materials. This contrasts with the formal portraiture of the time. How does this inform our understanding of class and leisure? Editor: That's a good question. I hadn't considered the choice of materials as a social statement. Curator: Think about the accessibility of sketch materials versus commissioned oil paints. The materials speak to a specific kind of art-making and the society of the time. Editor: It makes me think about how art can reflect the materials available to make it.