Henry Ware, Sr. (1764-1845) c. 1810

Editor: This is James Frothingham's portrait of Henry Ware, Sr. I’m struck by the textures, the way the light catches on the book, and drapes on his robe. What can you tell me about the material conditions that shaped this work? Curator: Well, consider the pigments used. The availability and cost of these materials dictated the color palette and the artist's choices. How does the very act of applying paint to canvas, a process, influence its meaning? Editor: So, the material reality of paint, like its cost and how it was applied, impacts the interpretation? Curator: Precisely. Think about the canvas itself, the labor involved in its preparation, and the consumer culture that made such portraits desirable. The work is not just an image, but a product of its time. What do you make of that? Editor: That’s a great point; I hadn't thought about the economic context of art production. Thank you.