Ready For The Ball 

Sophie Gengembre Anderson painted "Ready For The Ball" using oil on canvas. Looking closely, the delicate brushwork creates layers of translucent color in the woman’s dress. The thin glazes capture the sheen of silk and lace, suggesting the labor and skill required to produce luxury fabrics, essential for a grand entrance. The fan, likely made from ivory or bone, embodies craftsmanship but also the exploitation of natural resources. Anderson’s rendering shows the tactile qualities of the materials, but also hints at the vast economic system required to support such opulence. These materials were acquired through trade and industry, and therefore symbolize a lifestyle of privilege. Paintings like this highlight not just the aesthetic qualities of fashion and adornment, but the social structures embedded in their creation. By giving us the textures and forms of high society, Anderson implicitly asks us to consider the cost.