Buste van een jonge vrouw met parelketting 1774 - 1793

Louis Marin Bonnet created this print of a young woman with a pearl necklace in France in 1774. Prints like this one were at the center of a booming art market. Looking at the print itself, you’ll notice the oval frame, the delicate lines and pastel colors, and the rather conventional portrayal of feminine beauty. But by looking at the print in its historical context, we can understand it better. Bonnet was part of a network of artists and publishers who made images for a growing consumer culture. The print medium allowed images to be reproduced and disseminated widely, catering to the tastes of a broad audience. This created a demand for images that were both beautiful and affordable. To learn more about this print, we can consult period sources like advertisements, inventories, and auction catalogs. These resources can reveal who was buying and selling these prints, and how they were displayed and consumed.