Portrait of Marie Louise, the first Queen of the Belgians 1841

Franz Xaver Winterhalter painted this portrait of Marie Louise, the first Queen of the Belgians, using oil on canvas, a hallmark of fine art. But look closer and you’ll see the painting is really about fabric. Consider the plush velvet of Marie Louise’s dress, a material associated with luxury, and the diaphanous lace trim, which would have been incredibly labor-intensive to produce. Winterhalter painstakingly renders their textures: the way the velvet catches the light, the delicate latticework of the lace. These materials speak volumes about Marie Louise’s position in society. Her very image is, in a sense, woven from threads of power and privilege. The painting reflects a complex web of skilled labor, global trade, and ultimately, consumption. Thinking about materials and making helps us understand how this portrait operates, not just as a representation of a queen, but as a window into the social and economic realities of her time.