Portrait of a Young Girl 

Charles Sprague Pearce made this "Portrait of a Young Girl" with oil on canvas, but it’s not just the materials that matter, it's how they're put to work. Notice how the brushstrokes give us a sense of the artist's touch and how the layers of paint bring a tactile quality to the surface. Pearce was engaging with a tradition that had a rigid hierarchy, with painting at the top and crafts somewhere lower down. Yet his work is deeply rooted in the skilled traditions of painting. Pearce’s approach to portraiture makes us think about the cultural value we place on handmade items and challenges us to see the labor and skill involved in making art. By understanding the materials, the making, and the context, we can truly appreciate the depth and meaning of this beautiful artwork.