Portrait of Louise Émilie Baronne de *** 1779

Curator: The poise in this 1779 engraving, “Portrait of Louise Émilie Baronne de ***,” is striking. The anonymous print comes to us via Augustin de Saint-Aubin. It's held here at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. What catches your eye first? Editor: That towering hair! The artist's rendering of such extravagance screams Rococo, almost a satirical commentary on pre-Revolutionary excess. All those meticulously rendered curls; what process did they even use? Curator: It’s an engraving, which is a type of printmaking. The design is incised onto a metal plate. Think of the skill and the time commitment required for such detail, the labor alone to bring this kind of Rococo portrait into production. It really makes you think about consumption in that era. Editor: Exactly! And to what end? Whose image was being circulated and how? We need to remember the salons of the time—these prints functioned as a crucial means of propagating particular ideals of beauty and class. Look at how she's framed, almost elevated, enshrined in an oval of status. Curator: The use of materials – metal plates, ink, paper – allowed for relatively widespread distribution, sure. These images solidified social hierarchies through accessibility and that accessibility complicates notions of elitism. Prints made portraiture more commonplace but controlled by market and demand. Editor: And this circulation influenced more than just aesthetics; these images also influenced sociopolitical power. Whose likeness deserved preservation? Dissemination? And who had the authority to decide? Curator: In engraving this portrait of the Baronne de ***, the artist was making very clear statement of value within this specific economy. Editor: Absolutely. It reminds us that every stroke in the artistic process, every distribution channel, reinforces the narrative of power and prestige—a very loaded medium indeed. So much more going on than meets the eye at first glance! Curator: I concur. This deeper consideration of Saint-Aubin's work brings so much to light in just a quick few moments here. Editor: Right? And to see it that way brings to view social currents in the artwork beyond face value.