French school of the XVIII century.

French school of the 18th century.
"Jeune femme au livre".
Pastel.
Measurements: 72 x 56 cm; 92 x 78 cm (frame).

This captivating oval portrait introduces us to the domestic environment of the French aristocracy. The half-length composition places the lady in the foreground. The drapery and the upholstered armchair with brocade fabric is the only note of furnishings, but it gives us enough information of the sophisticated environment that welcomes the young lady. Her dress is an eloquent testimony to the fashion of the end of the century, a transitional period between the exuberance of Rococo and the incipient sobriety of Neoclassicism, so characteristic of the pre-Revolutionary French court. The neckline, finely adorned with delicate lace, enhances the slenderness of her neck and shoulders. Her hairstyle, high and powdered, culminates in an architectural structure of waves and ornaments, reflecting the opulence and artifice of high society. In her hands, she holds a book, a detail that suggests both her intellectual refinement and her privileged position in an era when access to reading was a class distinction.