Luxury 

John Atkinson Grimshaw created this small oil painting titled Luxury sometime in the late nineteenth century. It depicts a woman reclined on a chaise lounge in what appears to be ancient Roman dress. This was a time when the rise of industrial capitalism created enormous fortunes for a few, and the image of the leisured woman became a common cultural trope signifying wealth. The woman’s dress and pose are signifiers of classicism, referring back to the art and culture of ancient Rome. The architecture, vases, and the stylized figures on the wall are all clues to the historical era that Grimshaw wants to evoke. The image is less about historical accuracy and more about signaling the woman’s refinement and high status. Art historians use census data, fashion plates, and domestic advice manuals to understand how the Victorian class system impacted artistic production. Art, like this painting, reflected the values of the emerging middle classes.