Portrait of a Young Woman c. 1770s

Jean-Honoré Fragonard made this "Portrait of a Young Woman" with pastels, a medium that gives a soft, almost dreamlike quality. Pastels are interesting. They're essentially pure pigment, the same stuff used in painting, but instead of being mixed with oil or water, they're bound with just enough gum or resin to hold them together in stick form. Think of them as solid paint. This allows for a very direct way of working, almost like drawing with pure color. Fragonard builds up the image with layers of delicate strokes, creating subtle gradations of tone. The powdery, matte surface of pastels reflects light in a unique way, giving the portrait a gentle glow. It’s a technique that values immediacy and capturing a fleeting impression. Pastel doesn't allow for the same kind of reworking as oils, so there’s an element of risk and spontaneity. Ultimately, understanding the material and its specific qualities is essential to appreciate the artwork. It challenges the distinction between drawing and painting, and invites us to think about artmaking as a process rooted in material expression.