William Pitt 

Thomas Gainsborough’s portrait of William Pitt is realized in oil paint, a medium capable of capturing the sitter's likeness, but also the soft textures of fabric and flesh. In this period, portraiture was of course a commercial proposition. Artists like Gainsborough were employed by wealthy patrons to produce their likeness. While it's easy to think of painting as "high art," it’s helpful to remember that it involved considerable skilled labor. The grinding of pigments, preparation of the canvas, and application of glazes required time and expertise. Look closely, and you'll see how Gainsborough made the most of his materials, using fluid brushstrokes to bring the figure to life. The artist would have been deeply aware of the cost of materials, and the expectations of his wealthy patrons. So, next time you look at a painting, think about the relationship between artist, patron, and materials – and the ways in which the economics of art production have always shaped the objects we see in museums.