Girl in a Fur 

This is Titian's "Girl in a Fur," painted sometime in the 16th century with oil on canvas. Of course, paint itself is a material, built from ground pigments and binders. But here, the fur is the thing. Considered in terms of materiality and making, fur has a fascinating history. Highly prized yet ethically fraught, it connects to the entire history of global trade. To our eyes, the fur reads as simple luxury, but for Titian's time, it was a potent signifier. The labor involved in trapping, skinning, and processing animals into wearable items was considerable, and very few could afford the result. It also required a great deal of skill to join pelts seamlessly, so the garment had a smooth appearance. Titian’s brushwork conveys the rich dark brown of the fur. Its texture is palpable, almost hyperreal, adding another layer of meaning to this portrait. By focusing on the craft of representing materials, we can delve more deeply into the social context in which this painting was made.