Young Woman Powdering Herself 1889

Georges Seurat made "Young Woman Powdering Herself" using oil on canvas sometime in the late 1880s in France. At first glance, the painting depicts a simple, private moment: a woman applying makeup. But this domestic scene is in fact a portrait of Seurat’s mistress, Madeleine Knobloch. What does it mean that Seurat, who exhibited in the very public spaces of the Parisian Salons, chose to portray his lover, and in such an intimate setting? Perhaps Seurat is making a subtle comment on the increasing visibility of women in public life during the Belle Époque, yet another example of a new, modern society. To better understand this artwork, we can look to the social history of nineteenth-century France: the rise of the bourgeoisie, changing gender roles, and the development of modern art institutions. By examining these contexts, we can appreciate the complex relationship between art and society.