Madone Et Enfant Avec Deux Anges 

Giambattista Pittoni painted ‘Madone Et Enfant Avec Deux Anges’ using oil on canvas, sometime in the first half of the 18th century. Looking closely, it's clear that the painting relies on the cumulative application of thin layers of pigment. Pittoni built up his image through washes of color; this allowed light to penetrate and reflect back to the viewer. It’s a time-consuming, highly skilled process, demanding years of training. In workshops like Pittoni’s, there would have been a strict hierarchy of labor, from the master, to journeymen, to apprentices. It’s no coincidence that this technique peaked at the same time as global trade. Demand for luxury goods skyrocketed, so craftspeople needed to find ways to produce work more efficiently, even as they maintained the aura of preciousness. Pittoni was able to successfully position himself within this economy. So next time you see an Old Master painting like this one, remember the many hands, and the complex social circumstances, that brought it into being.