Man from the Island of Kithnos (Thermia) 1700 - 1737

Jean Baptiste Vanmour painted this portrait of a man from the island of Kithnos, or Thermia, using oil on canvas sometime before 1737. The artist has carefully built up the image by layering thin glazes of paint, each one modifying the color and tone of the layers beneath. The material quality of oil paint, with its capacity for blending and subtle gradations, allows for a high degree of realism. But this is not simply a window onto another world. Vanmour’s technique itself has social significance. The use of oil paint, with its capacity to convincingly render textures and materials, was then associated with the rise of merchant capitalism. Consider, also, the labor involved in producing this work. From the preparation of the canvas, to the grinding and mixing of pigments, a great deal of effort was required before Vanmour even picked up his brush. The painting’s relatively small size suggests that the artist may have sought to capture the essence of his subject with efficiency. Ultimately, by attending to the materials, making, and historical context of this painting, we can appreciate it not just as a representation, but as a cultural artifact in its own right.