Double Portrait of Two Young Women c. 1795

Alexandre Moitte created this drawing of two young women with pen and brown ink, heightened with white, around the time of the French Revolution. It's an intriguing image that seems to want to ennoble its sitters by framing them within an oval, like a classical cameo. But let's consider how the image creates meaning through its visual codes and cultural references. Notice the inscription "Mors et Vita," or "Death and Life," sitting above the women, juxtaposed with flowers and vines, and musical instruments below. The sketch's aesthetic recalls the decorative style favored by the French aristocracy just before the Revolution. The style was criticized for its decadence and superficiality, seen as emblems of the social inequalities that fueled the revolutionary fervor. Could Moitte be subtly commenting on the values of the time? By examining the print collections and exhibition records of institutions like the Minneapolis Institute of Art, we can uncover the ever-evolving ways in which art challenges, reflects, or reinforces social norms.