PORTRAIT DE JEUNE GARÇON DE PROFIL 

Théodore Géricault painted this portrait of a young boy in France at the beginning of the 19th century. The French Revolution was over, and there was a mood of cultural change. Here we see a very neat, careful style with a fashionable boy. It is a study in the ideal of male beauty. The subject's stylish hair, soft skin, and delicate features might reflect a shift away from the heroic masculinity of the Revolutionary period toward a more sensitive and refined image. Is Géricault presenting a new vision for French society? To understand the painting further, we could explore the history of fashion and gender in France and discuss how the ideals of masculinity were being redefined during this time. Art history teaches us that art is always connected to the society in which it's made.