A Capri Boy 1883

Editor: This is "A Capri Boy" by Hamilton Macallum, housed at the Tate. It seems to depict a scene of leisure, with a boy fishing. What strikes you about this work? Curator: I notice the emphasis on the materiality of leisure. The boy’s simple attire and the act of fishing suggest a direct relationship with the environment and a specific class position. Consider the labor involved in obtaining the materials for painting itself. Where were they sourced and how might the artist’s social status have influenced this depiction of a working-class boy? Editor: So, the painting itself becomes a commodity, tied to labor and social class? Curator: Precisely. The artwork's production, the materials used, and the subject depicted are intertwined with consumption and social context.