Study for portrait of unknown woman 

This is a pastel study of an unknown woman by Maurice Quentin de La Tour. The artist was a master of the pastel medium, and this work exemplifies the techniques that made him one of the most sought-after portraitists in 18th-century France. Pastel portraits became fashionable among the French aristocracy in the 1700s. Pastel allowed for a certain informality that was very appealing to the wealthy elites. The image's soft focus and intimate scale made it perfect for the private sphere. The institution of the French court valued beauty and taste and placed special emphasis on the outward display of refinement and status. The art historian can bring all sorts of fascinating information to bear on the interpretation of portraiture; genealogies, fashion history, and the study of court rituals, all help us to understand the social role of these images. The meaning of art is always contingent on social and institutional contexts.