Portrait of Colonel John Cox 1793

Charles Willson Peale made this portrait of Colonel John Cox using oil paint on canvas, a traditional technique of the time. It's easy to overlook that painting itself is a type of making. To achieve such realism with thin layers of pigment required an understanding of material properties, like the way the oil allows the colors to blend seamlessly. It's also critical to observe the cultural context, as well. Peale operated a family business, even enlisting his children as part of his studio team. This was common practice, of course, and reminds us that even "fine art" has always relied on a division of labor. Indeed, portraiture in this period was work, a kind of early industrial system churning out likenesses for elite clientele. The very fact that Cox could commission this painting speaks volumes about his social standing, achieved through the extraction of labor and resources. Ultimately, remembering the painting’s material and the conditions of its making offers deeper insight into this historical moment.