Portrait of Aertje Witsen 1626

David Bailly painted this portrait of Aertje Witsen using oil on panel. While painting may seem like a rarefied activity, portraits like this one depended on, and represented, extensive labor. Look closely at Aertje's lace collar. Delicate and intricate, it speaks to the era’s burgeoning textile industry. Aertje’s collar would have been made by highly skilled lace makers, piece by piece, stitch by stitch. The material speaks of many hours of painstaking work by women and perhaps even children. In that sense, the garment is a direct product of the era’s economic system. Bailly used his own skill to bring the lace to life, capturing its texture, and in so doing he has immortalized the artistry that went into its creation. Think of all the people involved in the production and depiction of this image: the weaver, the lace maker, the painter. Seeing craft in paintings like this helps us to understand their connection to the world of labor, politics, and consumption.