Portrait of William T. Walters 1883

Léon Bonnat painted this portrait of William T. Walters with oil on canvas, a medium favored for its ability to capture likeness and convey status. The materials themselves speak to the history of painting as a craft. Oil paint, ground pigments suspended in oil, allows for layering and blending to achieve realistic skin tones, textures, and details in Walters's suit. The brushstrokes are visible, especially in the background, revealing Bonnat's process of building up the image, and creating an atmosphere of wealth and refinement. Consider the labor involved in producing such a painting, from the preparation of the canvas to the meticulous application of paint. Portraiture of this kind was a luxury, commissioned by those with the means to immortalize themselves and their legacy. By focusing on the materiality and processes behind this artwork, we can see how it reflects the social and economic structures of its time, blurring the lines between art, craft, and commerce.