The Two Sisters 1770

Jean Claude Richard, Abbé de Saint-Non made this pastel drawing, "The Two Sisters," sometime in the 18th century. It’s a good example of the Rococo style, with its light touch and focus on aristocratic leisure. But consider for a moment the nature of pastel itself. The artist makes marks with dry sticks of pigment. The color sits right on the surface of the paper. This directness gives pastel drawings an immediacy. You can see every stroke. And because the image is so close to the viewer, there’s a sense of intimacy. This was an era when powdered wigs and elaborate makeup were worn by both men and women in court circles. Pastel was the perfect medium for capturing this culture of surface. As you look closely, consider how much labor must have been required to produce the luxurious dresses and even the children’s toys seen in the image. This helps us connect the image to wider social issues of labor, politics, and consumption. It is impossible to divorce art from these considerations.