Marguerite Desvallières 1890

Georges-Olivier Desvallières created this portrait of his daughter, Marguerite, with pastel on paper around 1890. The portrait gives us a window into the world of bourgeois Parisian society in the late 19th century. Desvallières was associated with the Symbolist movement, and his work often explored spiritual and religious themes. But here, we see him capturing a more intimate and personal subject. The choice of pastel lends itself to a soft, intimate portrayal. The artwork was made at a time when the role of women in society was being widely discussed and contested. Women were beginning to enter the workforce and fight for greater political rights. It would be interesting to consider it within the history of portraiture and changing social attitudes toward gender. We could ask: what does the portrait tell us about the artist’s own views on the place of women in society? To understand the art of this period better, we can consult period journals, exhibition reviews, and artists' correspondence, all of which help us to understand the social and institutional context.