David Johnston 1808

This is David Johnston, painted with oils on canvas by Pierre-Paul Prud'hon. Oil painting as a process involves building up layers of pigment suspended in oil, allowing for subtle gradations of tone and a luminous effect. Prud'hon was celebrated for his mastery of sfumato, a technique that blurs lines and softens edges, creating an almost dreamlike quality. Look closely, and you can see how he achieves this through delicate brushwork and careful blending of colors. The portrait shows a certain amount of labor and the tradition of the "fine arts" in the careful building of the face and clothing. There is a clear class aspect as Johnston’s clothing implies status and wealth through the use of fine fabrics and tailoring. These details were carefully rendered by Prud'hon. Paying attention to materials, making, and context allows us to question traditional distinctions between fine art and craft, and to appreciate the deep and enduring power of creativity.