Pasce Oves Meas 

Giovanni Battista Gaulli created this oil painting of the scene 'Pasce Oves Meas,' sometime in the 17th or 18th century. The techniques used in this painting reflect the academic training that an artist of this period would have undergone. Observe the build-up of layers, with darker underpainting giving way to the brighter, more luminous colors on the surface. This was a very calculated process, designed to create the illusion of depth and form. The artist had to learn how to prepare and mix his paints, and how to choose the right brushes and supports. The artist is concerned with the accurate representation of light, texture, and human anatomy, which speaks to broader cultural values of the period. The artist is interested in the narrative of the image, with the figures arranged to convey a sense of drama. But what's often overlooked is the labor, skill, and materials involved in the making of the painting itself. By attending to these aspects, we can gain a deeper understanding of the work's significance.