Le Nouveau Commis 

Jehan Georges Vibert, who lived from 1840 to 1902, made this painting, 'Le Nouveau Commis,' using oil paints on canvas, materials and processes very much aligned with the traditions of fine art. What's interesting to me is the depiction of labor and class. Note the young man's pale suit, a clear sign that he's new to his position, and likely of a lower social status than those he serves. He holds his hat with care, a sign of respect and perhaps anxiety about his new role. Look at the industrial forms of the furnace and jars in the background versus the neat stack of luggage in the foreground. Vibert skillfully captures the textures and details of each object, from the smoothness of the hat to the roughness of the boxes. Consider the amount of work that goes into producing a painting like this, and the way that this relates to the representation of work within the scene. In the end, both craft and fine art are tied to wider social issues of labor, politics, and consumption.