Marie-Rose de Larlan de Kercadio de Rochefort 1750

Jean-Étienne Liotard captured Marie-Rose de Larlan de Kercadio de Rochefort in pastel, a medium as delicate as the sitter’s own composure. Note the book she holds, a symbol of knowledge and intellect, yet its pages are only slightly parted, hinting at a deeper narrative. The book, an object of reverence throughout the ages, reminds us of the Tablets of Law, or the writings of the Evangelists, yet here, it’s held by a woman, suggesting the rise of female literacy and intellectual pursuits in the 18th century. Think of the ‘Madonna reading’, a common trope in Renaissance art in which it symbolises wisdom and devotion. However, observe that the sitter only slightly opens the book, suggesting the image may conceal and reveal. What is her intention? It's a question, perhaps, with no end, resonating with the ebb and flow of cultural memory.