Half Figure of a Woman Wearing a Cap, in Profile to Right 1770

Curator: I’m struck by the subdued elegance of this piece. There’s a quietness to it. Editor: Agreed. What we have here is “Half Figure of a Woman Wearing a Cap, in Profile to Right” by Augustin de Saint-Aubin, created around 1770. It's a pencil, pen, and charcoal drawing now residing at The Met. The choice of materials offers an intimate view into Saint-Aubin’s process. Curator: Intimate is the right word. The delicate lines and subtle shading really emphasize the textures of the woman's cap and dress. It seems like a study, almost as if the goal was to practice capturing textures rather than create a polished portrait. Editor: Absolutely, and let’s not ignore the social context! The elaborate cap points to the subject's status. Access to these materials - fine pencils, quality charcoal - signals something about the artist's and model's place in the economic structure as well. Who were the patrons commissioning such works? Curator: Interesting point about patronage, and to my eye the subtle modeling and the subject's serene profile contribute to a sense of idealized beauty, fitting the Rococo aesthetic so typical of the era. It would be interesting to examine similar pieces alongside this one and compare the use of line and form. Editor: Comparing it with works by, say, Boucher or Fragonard, could shed light on the evolving role of women as both consumers and subjects in art, also raising questions of the cost of production related to those materials! Curator: Yes, the juxtaposition would highlight Saint-Aubin's unique style. The limited color palette is particularly compelling to me. Editor: Seeing how this piece circulated in print could show us changing tastes and levels of affordability too. Curator: I see the value of that sort of comparison. I'm content to focus for a moment on Saint-Aubin's deft handling of light. Editor: Agreed, the beauty lies in its details. Examining its production and distribution can tell a wider story, revealing deeper connections between art, commerce, and society in 18th-century France.