King Vittorio Emanuele II on horseback 1855

Editor: Here we have Gerolamo Induno's "King Vittorio Emanuele II on Horseback," painted in 1855 using oil paint. It has a slightly romantic feel, with this heroic figure posed regally on his steed. What do you see in this piece? Curator: I see a study in the production of power, literally constructed through paint. Note the deliberate attention to the saddle's embellishments, the crisp tailoring of the King's coat. How much of this painting focuses on the tangible trappings of leadership, wouldn't you agree? Editor: I hadn't really thought of it like that, focusing on the materials. It seems more like celebrating a leader. Curator: But the celebration is achieved through representing the materiality of power! The artist chooses oil, allowing for precise detail, layering, and thus, control of the image. What about the horse itself, and its breeding? That signals power through the materials invested in such an animal, and labor expended. Editor: So you're saying that the painting isn't just *of* the King, but about what it takes, materially, to *be* the King? The horse, the uniform…all of it points to the economic structure supporting the monarchy? Curator: Precisely! Consider also the production and distribution of this painting as commodity - part of a larger system reinforcing this social order. Think of how its existence perpetuates a set of social and economic relations. How the artist labored and profited in creating an image of wealth and control. Editor: I didn't consider the process by which an image like this could be produced and serve that function. Curator: Hopefully, you will see the materiality of power and representation more clearly. Editor: Definitely! It provides such a different lens. Thanks for this take on things.