John Thomlinson and His Family 1745

Arthur Devis made this family portrait with oil paint, sometime in the mid-18th century. While it appears to be a straightforward depiction, the materials tell a deeper story. Consider the clothing: the fine wool of Mr. Thomlinson’s suit, the silk and linen of the women’s dresses. These materials speak to a world of global trade, colonial exploitation, and skilled labor. The textiles themselves would have been manufactured through complex processes, involving many hands, from the cultivation of raw materials to the weaving of the fabrics. The Thomlinson family’s wealth is literally on display, woven into the very fabric of their lives. Even the pigments used to create the painting would have been sourced from around the world, ground by hand, and mixed with oil. Devis's careful application of paint, mimicking the textures and sheen of these materials, reflects a society obsessed with appearances and status. The painting is not just a portrait, but a material record of wealth, labor, and the complex social hierarchies of 18th-century England.