The Comedian 

James Tissot painted 'The Comedian' using oil paint on canvas. The material itself is so fundamental to the illusion of the work. Tissot worked with brushes and pigment to create a surface, a picture that seems to exist in three dimensions. Think about the layers involved: the canvas carefully primed, the subtle blending of color, and the ways in which the final varnish coat would unify the effect, bringing out the luster of the oils. The very fluidity of oil paint, its capacity to be blended and manipulated, helped the artist bring out the details in the Comedian's garments, like the lace ruff or the trimming of the cape. It’s no accident that oil paint became the medium of choice as the art market developed; the effect is undeniably seductive. Oil painting enabled artists to create compelling illusions, feeding a growing demand for representational pictures. So next time you look at an oil painting, take a moment to consider the materials and the making, and how these affect the meaning of the finished work.