Ellen Terry as Lady Macbeth 1889

John Singer Sargent rendered this quick oil sketch of the actress Ellen Terry around 1889. Painted on canvas with expressive brushstrokes, Sargent captures Terry’s striking stage presence as Lady Macbeth. But let’s consider the craft of theater itself, a kind of material culture, which involved far more work behind the scenes than simply Terry’s performance. Her elaborate costume, rich in color and texture, would have been the product of skilled hands, seamstresses and tailors, whose labor made her character visually arresting. The stage design as well was its own kind of craftwork, requiring carpenters, painters, and other artisans to create the immersive world of the play. We can also think of the production in commercial terms. Sargent’s painting is not only of Terry as Lady Macbeth, but also of theater itself as a cultural industry: a nexus of collective, though often invisible, creative work. By focusing on the processes involved in both the making of the painting, and the play it depicts, we recognize the significance of craft and labor, challenging traditional notions of fine art and theatrical production.