Venetian casino 

Johann Heinrich Ramberg created this drawing of a Venetian Casino, using pen and brown ink, with watercolor. The choice of medium is critical here; the thin washes of color give us the sense of a fleeting, ephemeral moment. While watercolor is associated with preliminary sketches, the level of detail in the faces and costumes suggests that Ramberg considered this a finished work. The even distribution of the figures suggests a printmaker's sensibility, which makes sense, as he supported himself through commercial illustration. The scene itself represents a specific kind of labor: leisure. Gambling was a pervasive aspect of 18th-century Venetian life, with casinos acting as social hubs for the wealthy. However, the scene has an edge of anxiety. The figures are not so much enjoying themselves as anxiously seeking pleasure, or a profit. By attending to materials and the nuances of production, we gain deeper insight into the cultural meaning embedded within this image of leisure and risk.