Lady Fairbairn with her Children

William Holman Hunt made this portrait, Lady Fairbairn with her Children, with oil paints. Note how the artist's meticulous application of paint makes the textures of silk, silverware, and skin seem almost palpable. But let’s consider what is not represented here. Fairbairn was a member of the Victorian super-rich: her husband a manufacturer of industrial machinery. Her dress and shawl, the tea service, and even the family's leisure time, all speak to the surplus produced by the labor of others. The Pre-Raphaelites were often interested in the relationship between labor and art, but in a way that romanticized the medieval artisan, rather than addressing modern industry. Interestingly, Hunt shows his awareness of the politics of class in a letter, stating his desire to paint the Fairbairn family in an unglamorous, "matter of fact" manner. This portrait, however, with all its material splendor, seems to do the very opposite. The painting becomes less a depiction of a family, and more a celebration of wealth.