The Gower Family The Children Of Granville, 2nd Earl Gower c. 1776

George Romney created this painting of "The Gower Family" with oil paint on canvas during the late 18th century. Oil paint, with its capacity for smooth blending, was a favorite of portraitists like Romney. Here, we can see how the artist built up thin layers of pigment to capture the textures of skin and fabric. But the ease of the medium is belied by a very real economic dynamic. After all, oil paint is made from ground pigment and linseed oil, both of which had to be produced and distributed, and of course a canvas had to be woven. All this depended on complex trade routes, and on the labor of countless anonymous workers. While the Gower family clearly enjoyed the fruits of this system, Romney was dependent on it too. He needed the wealth of patrons like the Gowers to support his own activity. So while we may enjoy the apparent freedom and playfulness of this scene, it is important to remember that it was made possible by a global system of extraction and exchange.