Portrait of M.N. (Portrait of Mrs. Newton) 1876

James Tissot made this portrait of Mrs. Newton using graphite on paper. It’s a deceptively simple medium, but look closer and you see how Tissot uses the pencil to render the textures of Mrs. Newton’s clothing. See the hatching marks that give form to the fur stole, the precise lines describing her straw bonnet, the soft smudging that suggests the delicate frills of her dress. The artist transforms a humble material into a display of skill and sensitivity, giving an insight into the fashion of the time. Think, too, of the labor involved in producing the garments themselves, from the field to the factory to the shop, the labor of design and construction. The artist has not only created a likeness, but also preserved a material record of its time. Paying attention to materials, making, and context allows us to appreciate the skill involved in this work, and to challenge traditional ideas about what we consider to be 'fine art.'