Princess Varvara Nikolaevna Gagarina c. 1780 - 1782

Jean-Baptiste Greuze painted Princess Varvara Nikolaevna Gagarina using oil on canvas, a common medium for portraiture in the 18th century. But look closely and you’ll see the ways the paint is thinly applied, almost translucent in areas like the sky and the Princess’s dress. This wasn’t just about representing the Princess, but about showcasing the artist’s skill, particularly in rendering the textures of fabric and skin. The delicate ruffles of her dress and the softness of the dog's fur, all achieved through careful brushwork and layering of paint. Consider the labor involved: grinding pigments, preparing the canvas, and the countless hours of painting to achieve this level of detail. Portraiture in this era was a luxury, a display of wealth and status for both the sitter and the artist. Greuze’s mastery of the medium elevated him in the art world and allowed him to circulate in the aristocratic circles of his time. Ultimately, this painting is not just a likeness, it's a material record of its time, and of the social structures that made it possible.