Portrait of a lady, possibly the Marquise de Vaudreuil 1750 - 1786

This terracotta medallion, possibly portraying the Marquise de Vaudreuil, was crafted by Jean-Baptiste Nini. Note the elaborate hairstyle; a towering edifice of curls, each meticulously arranged. Such hairstyles, reminiscent of sunbursts or halos, are not merely decorative. They evoke, perhaps unconsciously, the divine attributes of past eras, a sort of secular appropriation of sacred imagery. One can trace this motif through history. Consider the radiant halos in Byzantine mosaics, or the elaborate headdresses of Renaissance portraits, each carrying a similar aura of elevated status. This impulse to frame the head with symbols of glory reflects a deep, subconscious desire to project power. The cycle continues, with each era subtly echoing and reinterpreting the visual language of its predecessors. The human psyche, ever yearning for significance, finds its expression in these enduring symbols, a testament to the cyclical nature of cultural memory.