Self-Portrait 1880

Frans Schwartz created this self-portrait on canvas, using oil paints sometime between 1870 and 1917. Oil paint is interesting: made from powdered pigments bound with oil, it’s a slow-drying medium. Here, Schwartz used it to build up layers of subtle color and tone, from the darker recesses of the room to the light catching his face. Look closely and you’ll see the way he’s captured the soft texture of his beard, the glint in his eye, and the folds of his smock. Oil paint allowed Schwartz to blend colors seamlessly, creating a sense of depth and volume. What's crucial here is that oil painting has its own history, not unlike ceramics, textiles, or glass. It's important to remember that knowledge and labor are embedded in these objects, because they are made by hand. They are never just images. They're also about the social relations of labor and production.