A Young Beauty 1898

Raimundo de Madrazo painted ‘A Young Beauty’ without specifying when, or even who, she was. Madrazo, a Spanish artist who spent much of his career in Paris, came from a family of artists and was known for his society portraits during a time of significant social change. His sitters were part of a high society that was rapidly evolving, in terms of fashion, technology, and class. This portrait captures the aesthetic ideals of feminine beauty of the era. The soft brushstrokes and delicate coloring emphasize her youth and supposed innocence, but what does it mean to be beautiful, young, and a woman at the turn of the century? The image invites us to consider the gaze, not just the artist's, but society’s, and to think about how women navigated the expectations and constraints placed upon them. What, or who, do you see when you look at her?