Seated Woman Holding a Fan 1715 - 1770

Francois Boucher created this sketch of a woman holding a fan using red chalk on paper. This wasn't just any paper, but laid paper, handmade using a mold and deckle. The material is interesting here, because Boucher was at the top of the French art world. He could have used any material he wanted. This chalk on paper medium is really immediate, and it's about as direct a translation of thought to image as you can possibly get. The very swiftness of the medium perfectly suited the Rococo aesthetic of the time. This drawing might have been a preparatory sketch for a larger painting, but it can also be appreciated as an artwork in its own right. Here, the material and the making are just as important as the subject. It demonstrates the artist's skill and creative process, blurring the lines between fine art and craft.