The Attraction 

This oil painting, titled 'The Attraction', was made by Vittorio Reggianini, who lived from 1858 to 1938. Looking closely, you will see that the artist has paid significant attention to the textiles, and surfaces in the painting. The folds of the woman's silk dress, the texture of the rug, and the wall decorations are painted with great detail. Consider the social context in which this painting was made. It portrays a wealthy woman in a luxurious setting. Silk, like that used in the woman's dress, was a highly valued material, and the rug and wall decorations also indicate wealth and status. The painting, then, is an artwork of conspicuous consumption, and a display of the material trappings of the leisure classes. It may at first seem distant from the world of work, yet the painting is testament to the labor involved in the production of luxury goods and in the maintenance of this lifestyle. By considering the materiality and the making of the world represented, we can better understand its full meaning.