The Actor Maximilian Korn in a Landscape 1828

Ferdinand Georg Waldmüller painted this portrait of the actor Maximilian Korn using oil on canvas, a technique perfected over centuries. Notice the precise detailing of Korn's clothing. The textiles worn by Korn would have been produced through complex systems of labor and trade. Think of the wool that makes up the green jacket, the cotton of the trousers, or the silk of the cravat. Each of these materials had to be cultivated and harvested, then processed, spun, dyed, and woven. The cloth would then be carefully tailored and fitted, resulting in a striking but comfortable garment. Waldmüller’s exacting attention to detail celebrates Korn’s status as a man of means, while also reminding us of the immense labor required to create even the simplest articles of clothing. Ultimately, the painting prompts us to consider the social and economic forces that shaped both Korn's world and Waldmüller's. It is the work of the artists' hand, and the social context, that give the painting its significance.