Dormition of the Virgin 

Jan Joest painted this panel, Dormition of the Virgin, with oil on wood, sometime around 1500, most likely in the Netherlands. Oil paint changed everything for artists. Mixing ground pigments with oil allowed for the lustrous colors and fine details evident here. Look at how the artist painstakingly built up layers to depict the textiles, sacred objects, and human faces. The commercial economy of the Netherlands drove the development and availability of these materials. Joest would have been reliant on a network of suppliers: apothecaries, who prepared pigments, and carpenters, who prepared the wood panel. The artist depended on many hands to create this image and cater to his wealthy clientele. Although Joest was highly skilled, he was also operating within a system of production and consumption. This painting and the economic dynamics that enabled its making are inseparable. The object prompts a reconsideration of how we distinguish between artistry and craft.