Sunday Best 

Julie Bell created this painting, "Sunday Best," using traditional oil paints, showcasing remarkable representational skill. Her technique builds up the image layer by layer, a slow accretion of detail that gives the horses and their tack such life. It’s easy to overlook the labor involved in such a polished picture. The artist’s hand is essentially invisible. The focus is entirely on the likeness of the animals. Consider also the cultural context. Bell’s art chimes with the tradition of equestrian portraiture that goes back centuries. Horses have been a key element of human labor, whether in agriculture, transport, or warfare. In modern society, their significance has shifted towards leisure and status, values that are clearly articulated in the title. Thinking about the materials and making of this artwork opens up a rich field of cultural associations, blurring the lines between art, craft, and social history.