Portrait of a Young Woman 1801

Dorothea Chandelle created this pastel portrait of a young woman, and although the exact date is unknown, Chandelle was active at the turn of the 18th century. Pastel portraits were en vogue for the wealthy elite, because they were faster and cheaper to produce than oil paintings. They became a popular means of recording family likeness, a function previously reserved for the aristocracy. Chandelle was working at a time in Germany when women were increasingly participating in the art world, albeit within certain constraints, such as portraiture, and often depending on their social status. Chandelle’s choice of pastel aligns her with a broader movement in art, which democratized the production of images. To understand the artist's work better, we might delve into archives to understand her artistic training.