Italian woman with tambourine 1882

Alexei Harlamoff created this painting using oil on canvas. The smooth, almost porcelain finish he achieved was typical of academic painting at the time. But that doesn't mean it's without interest from a material perspective. The material of oil paint, with its capacity to mimic textures and light, was perfect for conveying the soft, idealized features of the young woman. Note the rendering of her clothing: the coarse weave of the apron contrasting with the smooth, subtly colored dress. This contrast draws our attention not just to aesthetic qualities, but also to social distinctions. Harlamoff was catering to the taste of wealthy patrons, eager for images of picturesque peasantry. In a sense, the painting is a commodity, much like the labor of the young woman herself, turned into an object of visual consumption. So, while this may seem like a straightforward, representational painting, its reliance on the material properties of oil paint also makes it an artifact of social and economic relations.