A Feigned Retreat 

Mary Jane Ansell painted "A Feigned Retreat" using oil on canvas. You might think of painting as a rarefied, upper-class pursuit. And to some extent, that's always been true. But let's remember that oil paint itself is just pigment mixed with linseed oil. This medium only became widespread when industrialization made these materials widely available. Here, Ansell is not just using oil paint, but also expertly manipulating it to create a photorealistic surface. Look closely, and you'll see how she builds up thin layers of color, known as glazes, to achieve such a luminous effect. The amount of work involved in this painstaking process is considerable, and it’s fair to say that a painting like this challenges our assumptions about fine art. Ansell engages with traditions of skilled craftsmanship that have existed for centuries, while also reflecting on how we create and consume images in the modern world. So, appreciating the skill and labor involved is crucial to understanding her art.