The Spinner 

Pietro Longhi painted 'The Spinner' in Venice, using oil on canvas. The painting's material presence is defined by the application of paint to create texture, light and shadow. The depicted tools and products of the textile industry are rendered with meticulous detail, highlighting the labor-intensive nature of textile production in 18th-century Venice. Look closely and you’ll see the spinning wheel, the distaff holding raw fibers, and the spun thread itself. These were the implements of countless women, often working in difficult conditions. Longhi’s focus on the tools and processes emphasizes the social context of labor, and the economic realities that underpinned Venetian society. By depicting the lives and activities of ordinary people, Longhi challenges traditional hierarchies within art. The painting elevates the status of craft and labor, inviting viewers to consider the broader social implications of art. It demonstrates that art is not separate from lived experience, and that even seemingly mundane activities have cultural significance.