Above the Clouds 1875

Ralph Blakelock made Above the Clouds with oil on canvas, using techniques that were fairly traditional for his time. But there’s more than meets the eye here. Look closely, and you'll notice an unusual surface texture. Blakelock wasn't just applying paint; he was building it up in layers, scraping it away, and reworking it over and over, almost sculpting the surface, to get the misty, dreamlike quality he wanted. This process wasn't just about aesthetics. Blakelock was deeply interested in the craft of painting, pushing the medium to its limits. He even mixed his own paints, experimenting with different pigments and varnishes to achieve unique effects. In a way, his approach mirrors the kind of labor-intensive processes you see in craft traditions, where the maker's hand is evident in every detail. This emphasis on materials, making, and context is key to understanding Blakelock's work. It challenges the idea that fine art is somehow separate from the world of craft, reminding us that all art is made by someone, using specific materials and techniques, within a particular social and cultural context.