Old Woman with a Muff c. 18th century

Curator: Let's turn our attention to this 18th-century oil painting entitled "Old Woman with a Muff," created by an anonymous artist. What strikes you first about this piece? Editor: The sheer materiality jumps out—the textures! I can almost feel the softness of that muff and the cool smoothness of the velvet hood. What do you make of this display of opulence? Curator: Well, the sitter's clothing indicates her status. In this period, sumptuary laws had relaxed, and portraiture was a marker of bourgeoning bourgeois identity. Think of the genre paintings coming into vogue around this time, often commissioned to show a family's affluence and social standing. Editor: It's interesting you bring up status. It is definitely meant to be read as affluence but it also begs the question of who created that lace trim, who trapped and processed the animals, or how many hands constructed her paisley dressing gown. This reminds me of all of the invisible hands at work to create this "wealthy" picture. Curator: It is fascinating how portraiture, and especially paintings like this, acted as public statements of wealth and class during a period of great social and political change. She occupies an interesting space here, because on one hand it presents her as established and serene, but on the other the French Revolution would be brewing at this same time! I find myself wondering about the impending shift in power during that era. Editor: It’s impossible to separate an artwork like this from its social environment, the systems of labor and the political upheavals brewing right below the surface. Thank you for guiding us. Curator: My pleasure. The intersection of art, social structures, and history continues to fascinate me, and this painting is certainly a vivid example of their entanglement.