John Julius Angerstein, Aged over 80 1824

This is a portrait of John Julius Angerstein, painted by Thomas Lawrence in the late 18th or early 19th century using oil on canvas. Oil paint has the capacity to mimic textures and surfaces with incredible fidelity, and Lawrence was clearly a master of the technique. Look closely at the subject's velvet coat. The artist has built up layers of pigment to capture the soft nap of the fabric, and the way it reflects light. Oil paint allowed Lawrence to create a surface that seems to glow from within. He captured the social status of Angerstein through his material choices and the skillful labor involved in their application. Although we tend to think of painting as a singular artistic act, it is important to remember the many hands involved in the production of these materials. From the cultivation of flax for the canvas to the grinding of pigments, the making of art has always been a collective endeavor.