St. Ursula and her companions landing at Cologne, from the Reliquary of St. Ursula 1489

This panel, by Hans Memling, would have been painted in Bruges in the late 15th century, probably in oil paint on wood. This was a relatively new technology at the time, and allowed a precision of detail that was previously impossible. Consider how Memling used this medium to depict not only the high-status figures of St. Ursula and her companions, but also the laborers unloading the ship. Notice the barrels which would have been unloaded one at a time. The men loading the ship have a direct, physical relationship to the material world, a relationship mediated by strenuous labor. Memling was clearly attentive to their role in the broader economy, and this panel is a vivid reminder that even a religious scene is never separate from the realities of labor, politics, and consumption. By giving the whole picture such careful attention, Memling ensured that it was indeed a picture of the whole world.