Standing Woman Holding a Spindle, and Head of a Woman in Profile to Right c. 1714 - 1718

Jean-Antoine Watteau rendered this drawing of a woman with a spindle, alongside a head study, in red chalk sometime around the early 18th century. Though undated, the drawing emerges from the socio-economic context of France under Louis XIV. It was a period where the French textile industry was burgeoning and the production of cloth was central to both domestic and international trade. Watteau’s choice of subject matter seems to reflect this economic reality, but we need to ask whether the work celebrates or critiques the conditions of labor? Further investigation into the status of female laborers, guild regulations, and the art market of the time would help contextualize this image. By researching the institutional frameworks that shaped the production and reception of art, we can better understand the public role of art in Watteau’s France.