The Virgin Sewing, Accompanied By Four Angels, Known As La Couseuse 

Guido Reni painted The Virgin Sewing, Accompanied By Four Angels with oil on canvas, sometime before his death in 1642. The artwork’s title, La Couseuse, points to the central action of sewing: the repetitive action of threading a needle and drawing it through fabric. Before industrialization, sewing was a ubiquitous and undervalued activity. Most clothes and textiles were made by hand, largely by women who often went unpaid. The Virgin’s humble domesticity contrasts with the glory of the angels. It can be seen as a commentary on labor and class, elevating the everyday work of women to a sacred level. Reni's choice of subject, combined with the technical skill displayed in rendering the fabric, challenges the traditional hierarchy between fine art and craft. He asks us to consider the value of labor, skill, and materials in understanding an artwork's meaning.