Henry Stephen Fox-Strangways, 3rd Earl Of Ilchester 

John Linnell painted this portrait of Henry Stephen Fox-Strangways, the 3rd Earl of Ilchester, using oil on canvas. Paint is a fascinating material; at its most basic, it's just pigment mixed with a binder. But the ways it can be applied—thin glazes, thick impasto—and the colors that can be achieved allow artists to create illusions of depth, texture, and light. The smooth handling here speaks to Linnell's technical skill and training, which would have involved years of practice. Consider, too, the social context of portraiture. It was a way for the wealthy to record their likenesses and project an image of themselves to the world. The very support of this painting—the canvas—would have been produced by skilled laborers. So even as we admire the artistry on display, we should also remember the many hands involved in its creation and distribution. Ultimately, this painting connects to broader systems of labor and consumption, reminding us that even the finest art is deeply embedded in the material world.