Jonge vrouw met sluier en opgestoken krullend haar 1800 - 1806

Editor: So, this is "Jonge vrouw met sluier en opgestoken krullend haar," or "Young Woman with Veil and Pinned Up Curly Hair," a drawing by Louis Charles Ruotte from around 1800. It's delicate, almost ethereal. There's a romantic sensibility that is apparent right away. What is your first impression of the piece? Curator: Well, I can't help but be reminded of powdered wigs and secret assignations! But truly, what strikes me is the *tension* between the Romantic impulse, which celebrates individual feeling, and the Neoclassical style which favors a certain restraint. Do you see it, too? It's there in her very slightly mussed hair beneath the gauzy veil – propriety, but just barely! Editor: Yes, I can see that duality! The veil seems to suggest both modesty and allure at the same time. It's such a contradiction! Curator: Exactly. Think about the period: French Revolution, Napoleon... Society was being rebuilt! Ruotte captures a lady on the precipice of monumental change; she’s still holding onto tradition for dear life, but also ready to shed her constraints. It feels like you could cast her in "Les Liaisons Dangereuses"! Tell me, what does this contrast evoke in you? Editor: Hmm… I suppose it shows how people can contain multitudes, even back then. That people have always had to perform for the gaze of the patriarchy… and they also have rich inner lives. Thank you. I see so much more now! Curator: And isn't that why we keep coming back to these works? There is always something more to uncover and learn about art history. Thank you for offering a perspective!