Desperate 

Alfred Stevens painted 'Desperate' with oil on canvas sometime in the mid-19th century. Consider the material reality of this image. The artist skillfully simulated textiles: the silk of the gown, the soft wool of the shawl, the cotton lace of the trimmings. The image suggests the labor that produced these materials. Someone, perhaps a whole workshop of someones, would have spun, woven, and embroidered the various fabrics we see represented here. The industrial revolution, a central fact of 19th century life, plays an important role here. New inventions, such as the mechanized loom, created new possibilities for textile production. Patterns that previously would have been embroidered by hand, could now be replicated by machines. Stevens highlights the relationship between the luxury enjoyed by some, and the labor involved in production. Understanding the materiality of the painting, and the materials it depicts, gives us a greater sense of its cultural and social significance.