Vulcan Presenting Arms to Venus for Aeneas 1756

Francois Boucher painted "Vulcan Presenting Arms to Venus for Aeneas" using oil on canvas. The luminous quality of the paint gives the figures and clouds an ethereal glow, softening the hard edges of Vulcan’s forge. Boucher’s mastery is apparent in the delicate rendering of skin tones and fabrics. But think about what is *not* shown. The grit and toil of metalworking. We only see the finished product. This connects to the painting's social context. In the 18th century, artworks like this catered to aristocratic tastes, which favored refined elegance over depictions of labor. It’s a vision of a world where beauty and luxury seem effortless, obscuring the true cost of labor. Paying attention to what’s included, and what isn’t, reminds us to question traditional distinctions between fine art and craft, especially when issues of labor, class, and commerce are concerned.