Airs and graces 1872 - 1909

Laura Theresa Alma-Tadema made this painting, "Airs and graces", using oil on panel. Here we see a scene of domestic leisure, a young girl dancing for her mother and a musician. The smooth panel support and the fluid handling of the oil paint allow Alma-Tadema to capture the fleeting gestures and the subtle gradations of light and shadow. Consider the work involved in producing the pigments used, grinding them and mixing them with oil. The colours are themselves suggestive of wealth and trade, especially the red of the girl’s dress, derived from precious minerals. The panel itself, carefully prepared, is a testament to the skilled craftsmanship that underlies even the most seemingly effortless painting. The detailed rendering of the clothing, the musical instrument, all speak to the artist’s attention to the material world. Looking at the choices of what to depict and how, we can read a lot about the cultural values and social structures of the time. It reminds us that art is not just about individual expression, but also about the conditions of its making, and the systems of value that it reflects.