William Chiffinch 

John Riley painted this portrait of William Chiffinch using oil on canvas. While seemingly traditional, it's worth considering the work and labor involved in its making. Think of the canvas itself, likely linen, grown, harvested and woven. The wooden stretcher bars behind it were felled, sawn, and joined. The pigments were laboriously extracted from minerals, plants or insects, then mixed with linseed oil, itself the product of agricultural work and industrial processing. And of course, the brushes, made of animal hair. All these materials and processes were part of a complex economic system, connecting global trade, production, and consumption. Riley skillfully applied these materials to create an illusion of depth and texture, capturing the likeness and character of the sitter. But beyond the surface, this painting also represents the labor and skill of countless individuals involved in its creation. The next time you look at a painting, remember that it's not just an image, but a testament to the material world and the human effort that brings it into being.