Charles Parrocel, painter 

Maurice Quentin de La Tour created this portrait of Charles Parrocel using pastels, a medium that was increasingly popular in the 18th century for its ability to capture textures and subtle gradations of light. Pastels, essentially sticks of powdered pigment held together with a binder, allowed artists to build up layers of color with a delicate, almost feathery touch. Look closely and you can see the individual strokes, blended to create the soft, luminous quality of Parrocel's skin and the intricate details of his wig and clothing. Pastel was favored for portraiture because of its immediacy and the way it lent itself to capturing the fleeting expressions and personality of the sitter. This directness, combined with La Tour's skill in handling the medium, gives the portrait an engaging sense of presence, as if we are in the room with Parrocel himself. It is the artist's technical virtuosity that elevates this artwork, blurring the line between craft and fine art.