The sentencing of Aman 

Jean-François de Troy created this oil painting of the sentencing of Aman sometime in the 18th century. Note the materials used: oil paints, ground from pigment and applied with brushes onto canvas. This was the toolkit of academic painting, used to create illusions of depth, texture, and light. But painting is also a trade, after all, even if fine artists historically distanced themselves from any association with manual labor. Consider the artist's labor: mixing paints, preparing the canvas, sketching the composition, and painstakingly building up layers of color. The very physicality of the work becomes important in the context of the painting's subject. Here we see a great deal of commotion. What are the power dynamics at play? Who is in charge? The artist here used their craft to create a specific kind of image, one that celebrates an aesthetic of virtuosity while reinforcing social hierarchies. Considering these paintings, the artist's labor, and the scene depicted, it challenges the perceived divide between art and craft, demanding that we consider the social and political implications of both.