D. Pedro I e D. Leopoldina em trajes de Gala 1824

This is "D. Pedro I e D. Leopoldina em trajes de Gala," likely created in the early 19th century by Simplício Rodrigues de Sá, using oil on canvas. The painting material itself—oil—was by this time, a conventional choice for European royal portraiture. But look closely, and you begin to notice the intense labor embedded in the scene. This isn't just about the artist's skill, but the display of wealth through clothing. The gold embroidery on Pedro's military jacket, and the jewels adorning Leopoldina, speak to entire industries dedicated to luxury production. Consider the unseen hands involved: miners extracting precious metals, seamstresses toiling over intricate designs. De Sá does more than capture likeness; he conveys the power and privilege that rested on extensive systems of labor and extraction, with every brushstroke reminding us that art is not separate from the world of making and consumption.