John Loughborough Pearson 1887

This is John Pettie's portrait of John Loughborough Pearson, made with oil on canvas. Pettie's method is wonderfully straightforward; you can see the easy confidence in his brushwork. The way he builds up the face, particularly the beard, is very direct. And this of course is part of the painting’s effect. It’s a picture of a person, but also a record of its own making. Oil paint had become widely available by the 19th century, thanks to industrial production, so artists like Pettie could explore this medium to its full potential, using its ability to capture light, shadow, and texture, and also create a sense of immediacy. This portrait speaks to the rise of industrial capitalism, where even the most apparently refined products have humbler origins. Ultimately, understanding the materials and process helps us to see the painting not just as a representation, but as an object, an embodiment of the artist’s skill and labor.