Self-Portrait 1776

This self-portrait was made by Maurice Quentin de La Tour using pastels, a medium consisting of powdered pigment, and a binder. Pastels offer a directness of touch and texture that oil paint can't match, and La Tour exploited this quality to full effect. The drawing has an immediacy and informality that is quite striking. Note the rather rumpled jacket he is wearing, its subtle play of blues and greys. This was achieved by building up layers of dry pigment, blending them with the fingers to create a soft, luminous effect. This technique gave La Tour the ability to capture subtle gradations of light and shadow, and imbue his sitters with a sense of vitality. Though pastels had been used for centuries, it was during the 18th century that they reached their peak of popularity, becoming the preferred medium for portraiture among the European elite. This was in no small part due to the virtuosity of artists like La Tour, who elevated pastel to the status of high art, and it is important to remember that this art is also craft.