Two Standing Women n.d.

Editor: This is "Two Standing Women," a drawing by Nicolas Lancret, date unknown. The lines are so fluid, and the chalky red just pops against the paper. It feels like a fleeting glimpse, almost as if they're about to walk right off the page! What secrets do you think these ladies are keeping? Curator: Ah, secrets! That's what art is all about, isn't it? Lancret’s capturing a feeling here, that momentary grace of the rococo. Red chalk sings of warmth, of life caught mid-breath. I imagine he's sketching from life, in his studio, light streaming in...almost whispering gossip onto the page. I wonder, do you get a sense of their status or character from their pose and dress? Editor: Well, their dresses are grand, and they have an air of poise...definitely not servants! There's a relaxed elegance about them, almost like they're gossiping about courtly goings-on. Is that why you call it rococo? Curator: Precisely! It’s all about that lightness of being, that frill, that wink! The rococo period revels in capturing that upper crust shimmer, and Lancret’s using the humble red chalk to evoke those silky scenes and playful exchanges, which always feels slightly cheeky! Like the cat that got the canary. It has an elegance of courtly play, doesn’t it? Editor: It really does. I was so focused on the lightness, I hadn’t considered that cheeky side. Thanks! Curator: It's the delicious wink! Though unfinished, each stroke carries that spirit, an invitation into their world. Beautiful, and a real slice of rococo mischief if you ask me.