Froideur 

Eugène Grasset created ‘Froideur’, meaning ‘Coldness’, as a color lithograph, at a time when this medium offered exciting possibilities for commercial art. The image creates meaning through visual codes: in fin-de-siècle France, the woman's pale face and distant gaze would have been recognized as a symbol of aloof beauty. Surrounded by hydrangeas, which were then associated with heartlessness, she embodies an ideal of feminine coldness. It’s fascinating to consider how this image plays into the social construction of gender, reflecting anxieties and expectations surrounding women at the time. Was Grasset critiquing the objectification of women or reinforcing it? Historical research, examining period literature, fashion trends, and social commentaries, would shed light on how 'Froideur' resonated with its contemporary audience and continues to provoke questions about the politics of imagery today. Ultimately, understanding art requires us to delve into the social and institutional contexts that shaped its creation and reception.