Visage de femme de profil 

Curator: Here, we have William Bouguereau's "Visage de femme de profil," an oil on canvas painting. Editor: It’s strikingly delicate. The averted gaze, the soft light… a picture of quiet introspection, wouldn't you say? Curator: Absolutely. Considering Bouguereau's context within the academic tradition, his pieces were, essentially, commodities, made for purchase by the upper classes of France and other wealthy elites, therefore its important to note, here, the artist had to have relied on certain modes of art making, in order to get by and stay financially stable, catering to their tastes of beauty. Editor: Precisely. Look at the luminous quality he achieves with the paint, those soft gradients… he really understood the value of sfumato. And how the simplicity in composition, enhances the almost angelic essence to this figurative portrait. Curator: What strikes me, too, is how his art served a market deeply embedded in class and gender hierarchies. The consumption of images like these helped to perpetuate ideas about feminine virtue, beauty, and so forth. What kind of workshop processes did Bouguereau use in the art production, who prepared his colors, how long did this kind of art piece take, and, what materials and tools did he use? All this leads us to comprehending better this era’s production means. Editor: Yes, and that focus on craft allows Bouguereau to give volume, to the woman's neck, chest, and face using precise details. His careful construction, allows us, to better read her beauty. Curator: Yes, I would be interested in the details of the models' daily lives in their corresponding society, especially, as they also participated in an economy and held societal and cultural places as well. It gives an additional framework for the analysis, here. Editor: I must concede your arguments have changed my mind on the piece. A compelling dialogue indeed, illuminating aspects of production behind aesthetics. Curator: Exactly! And it showcases the usefulness of a Materialist perspective when viewing portraitures such as this.