Portrait of Queen Charlotte of the United Kingdom, with Windsor and the royal family in the background 1779

Benjamin West painted this portrait of Queen Charlotte, most likely in London, using oil on canvas. Notice how West uses the material qualities of oil paint to render the Queen's satin dress, which shimmers with light. This is no accident. The Industrial Revolution was in full swing, with factories churning out textiles for a global market. West masterfully depicts the luxury of the court. The sheer amount of fabric that makes up the Queen's dress, her velvet and ermine robes, the meticulously woven carpet, all speak to a culture of consumption and display. The figures in the background, strolling on the Windsor grounds, seem blissfully unaware of the labor and resources required to sustain their lifestyle. The skilled labor of the artist in rendering the materials of royalty invites us to consider how those fine things came to be, and at what cost. We must appreciate how materials, making, and context are crucial to understanding this portrait and its wider social implications.