Portrait of Jacques-François Desmaisons 1782

Jacques Louis David created this portrait of Jacques-François Desmaisons using oil paint and canvas. As a leading portraitist of his time, David employed techniques rooted in the traditions of fine art painting. The way David built up the painting, layering thin glazes of color to achieve luminous effects, speaks to the skill and labor involved. But the materials in the portrait also speak to labor and the wider economy of France at the time. Desmaisons is depicted as part of the French upper class, with a lavishly decorated coat and finely wrought lace cuffs. He is dressed in garments produced by skilled artisans, evidence of the labor and luxury that underpinned the social hierarchy of 18th-century France. By focusing on the materials and production processes of both the painting and the clothes worn in it, we can gain a richer appreciation of the social context in which this portrait was created.