The Painter Louis Joseph Maurice (1730–1820) 1772

Peter Adolf Hall painted this miniature watercolor on ivory of the painter Louis Joseph Maurice sometime in the late eighteenth century. These small portraits were luxury objects, often mounted in jewelry or snuffboxes, and signaled membership in a cosmopolitan elite. Hall and Maurice were both members of the Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture, the French institution that controlled artistic production and taste. By controlling training and exhibition opportunities, the Academy shaped the careers of artists. Notice how Maurice is presented. He is an artist, but also a gentleman. His powdered wig, fashionable coat, and direct gaze signal his status. The golden frame and the ivory support enhance the impression of wealth and taste. Through close study of paintings like this, alongside archival research, we can understand the networks of patronage and influence that shaped the art world of the past. We can better understand the politics of imagery, the social conditions that shaped artistic production, and the public role of art.