The Mass of Bolsena, from the Stanza dell'Eliodor (detail) 1514

Raphael painted this section of The Mass of Bolsena in the early 16th century, using fresco, a technique of painting on wet plaster. Look closely at the rich reds and golds: these aren’t just colors, they’re made of ground minerals, carefully chosen and mixed by hand. The artist would have had to consider the labor involved, from mining the raw materials to the skilled work of grinding and mixing pigments. This was painstaking work, often divided among the many hands in a Renaissance workshop. Now, consider the fresco technique itself. Raphael had to work quickly, applying paint to the wet plaster before it dried. This demanded not only skill, but also a level of confidence, making each brushstroke count. We see this confidence in the figures’ faces, each rendered with a few deft strokes. By understanding the materials and processes that went into this painting, we can appreciate the immense amount of skill and labor involved in its creation. It’s a reminder that even the most seemingly effortless works of art are the product of human ingenuity and collective effort.