Charles Louis Fouquet, Duke of Belle Isle 

This portrait of Charles Louis Fouquet, Duke of Belle Isle, was made by Maurice Quentin de La Tour, using pastels. Pastels may seem an unusual choice for a portrait, but they were all the rage in 18th century France. The powdered pigment is bound with just enough gum to hold it together; its softness lent itself to the delicate textures of skin, hair, and especially the luxurious fabrics worn by the aristocracy. The beauty of this medium lies in its immediacy, as the artist blends colors directly on the paper. But its apparent simplicity is deceptive. A work like this required an immense amount of labor, from the careful grinding of pigments, to the layering of strokes that build up the Duke’s likeness, and the precise rendering of his ornamented clothing. While this portrait might seem like pure indulgence, it also speaks to the economics of artistic production at the time, and the ways in which artists navigated the demands of their patrons, while pushing the boundaries of their chosen medium.