This portrait of Louise Jopling was painted by John Everett Millais, using oil on canvas. Oil paint allows for the rich depiction of textiles and the fall of light, both of which are on full display here. Notice the contrast between Jopling’s face and the background. Her skin is rendered with soft transitions while the background is a looser, more blended application of paint. Millais invites us to admire the sitter’s delicate features, as well as the fine details of her dress. It’s a sumptuous garment, its surface alive with embroidered flowers and ruffles. Consider the labor of love and the many hours of needlework that went into its making. Millais used traditional materials to portray his sitter in all her fashionable glory. But by drawing attention to Jopling’s dress, he also highlights the contributions of the seamstresses and embroiders who contributed to the material culture of Victorian England.