A Fashionable Noblewoman Wearing a Plumed Hat c. 1789

Adélaïde Labille-Guiard made this portrait of a fashionable noblewoman with pastel on paper. Pastel is pure pigment ground into a chalk-like consistency, and when applied to paper it yields a uniquely soft, luminous surface. This effect is perfect for capturing the sitter’s powdered wig, the delicate feather trim on her hat, and the striped fabric of her fichu. The making of these elements would have involved numerous skilled tradespeople: wigmakers, feather dressers, and textile weavers all contributed to the creation of such an aristocratic image. Consider too the labor required to produce the pastel sticks themselves, combining raw materials like gypsum and chalk with vivid dyes. Labille-Guiard skillfully exploited the pastel medium to portray the material excess of her subject, and her status as an elite member of society. Paying attention to materials, making, and social context encourages us to appreciate the multilayered significance of art and craft.