Woman from the Island of Kithnos (Thermia) 1700 - 1737

Jean Baptiste Vanmour made this oil on canvas painting depicting a woman from the island of Kithnos, or Thermia, as it was then known. Focusing on the materials she holds, we see that this is not just a portrait, but also an image of a woman engaged in the essential process of textile production: spinning. Notice the distaff in her left hand, holding the raw fibers, and the spindle in her right, twisting them into thread. The way the artist captures the tension in the spun thread tells us something about the tactile engagement and skill involved in this craft. Spinning was not just a practical task. It also carried social significance. The act of making thread, and then weaving it into cloth, was a universal element of domestic labor and local economy. It also featured centrally in myth and folklore, and in this way, Vanmour's portrait elevates the status of this woman. The artist reminds us that the origins of value often lie in such fundamental, and frequently undervalued, processes.