Yes or No Date 1893

John William Godward created this scene with oil on canvas, and at first glance it looks like a straightforward scene of classical beauty. But let’s consider the material reality here. Godward has rendered marble with uncanny accuracy, a skill honed through careful observation and painstaking brushwork. The stone’s cool, smooth surface is almost palpable, its weight and presence anchoring the scene. And the garments draped on the figures? These are not mere fabrics, but carefully chosen textiles, likely linen or wool, each with its own texture and drape. The tiger skin on the floor speaks of exotic trade routes, of far-flung corners of the British Empire. Think about the labor involved in creating such a painting. The preparation of the canvas, the grinding of pigments, the meticulous application of paint, layer upon layer. Godward’s art was made possible by a world of work, from the quarrymen who extracted the marble to the weavers who spun the cloth. By attending to the material facts of this painting, we can appreciate it not just as a beautiful image, but as a product of its time, reflecting the social and economic realities of late 19th-century Britain.