Portrait Of Jacqueline 

This sketch of Jacqueline was made by Paul César Helleu using sanguine and black chalk, likely on paper. The linear quality achieved through the marks of the chalk, imbues the portrait with a sense of immediacy and intimacy. The choice of chalk as a medium is significant, as it is often associated with preparatory sketches or studies, rather than finished artworks. This suggests that Helleu may have been more interested in capturing the essence of his sitter, than in creating a highly polished or refined portrait. The use of sanguine, a reddish-brown chalk, adds warmth and vibrancy to the image. The relative speed and efficiency of chalk allowed artists to produce a greater volume of work, making art more accessible to a wider audience, in line with the rise of consumer culture in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The portrait becomes an object, and the sitter a subject, of mass consumption. The very visible mark of the artist's hand serves to remind us that art is always the product of labor.