Unidentified British Navy Officer c. 1745

Editor: This is "Unidentified British Navy Officer," painted around 1745 by John Wollaston, using oil paints. The velvet of the blue coat looks so tactile. What stands out to you? Curator: Immediately, I'm drawn to the materiality of the paint itself. The rendering of the blue coat, particularly, speaks volumes about trade and access. Ultramarine pigment was derived from lapis lazuli, a costly import at the time. Its use signifies wealth and status, both for the officer and Wollaston’s clientele. How do you think the officer obtained the economic means to possess a velvet blue coat dyed with ultramarine, to sit for the portrait? Editor: Perhaps through success in naval campaigns, acquiring wealth and recognition, or coming from a family of means involved in naval affairs? Curator: Precisely. Consider the social context – Britain’s burgeoning naval power, colonialism, and global trade. The production of goods like the cloth and the instrument he holds are linked to exploitation of labor and resources far beyond England's borders. His stance suggests authority, but whose authority is being portrayed here, really? Is it personal merit, or the force of the British Navy that made this opulence possible? Editor: I hadn’t considered the social implications of something as simple as the blue paint! The materiality speaks to the entire system. Curator: Exactly! Looking closely at the materials and production gives us a tangible connection to these larger historical and social systems. It compels us to question who benefited and who bore the cost of this era. What is something else you observe from this artwork? Editor: I suppose next time I look at any historical painting, I'll think more critically about where the materials originated and who was involved in making it. Curator: Wonderful. By investigating the process and conditions behind the portrait, you're now looking at more than just a painting – you are analyzing material evidence of power.