A Patrician Family 

Pietro Longhi painted "A Patrician Family" in Venice using oil paint. Here, the artist renders in fine detail the clothing of his aristocratic subject, as well as the interior decor, giving the viewer an insight into their lifestyle. The sitters are defined by the expensive materials of their clothes: the silk, the velvet, the lace. The labour involved in creating these outfits is a clear indicator of the family's social standing. The painting itself, of course, would have been another luxury item, commissioned to celebrate the family's status. Longhi's skillful application of paint mimics the textures and details of the fabrics, inviting a tactile engagement with the image. The clothing is not merely decorative; it embodies the socio-economic realities of 18th-century Venice, class distinctions, and conspicuous consumption. The painting is a reminder that what we see is always filtered through the material conditions of its creation.