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DiaporamaPortrait of a Young Woman
1795
6.0 x 7.0 cm
Colorful Madras fabric and blonde hair may appear innocent, but historical awareness of their meanings in the 1790s alerts us to how this sitter has foregrounded her whiteness during a period rife with the racialized terms of colonial struggle. The fabric, imported from India, was part of the Triangular Trade and worn frequently by Black women in the West Indies (Caribbean); in Paris, white women adopted it as a deliberately provocative flirtation with these horrible realities. Her hair is probably a blonde wig, which was highly popular for a short period around 1795 and was a means of doubling down on racialized whiteness as she cruelly played on the visual culture of the enslaved labor that sustained the French economy.
laurent jean antoine (1763 – 1832)
Discover Jean Antoine Laurent, a 18th-century French miniaturist & painter known for sensitive portraits & pre-Romantic style. Explore his works on ivory & explore his legacy.
About this artwork
- Title: Portrait of a Young Woman
- Artist: laurent jean antoine
- Year: 1795
- Original dimensions: 6.0 x 7.0 cm
- Format: Square
- Copyright status: Public domain
- Color hue: Ochre to Sepia
- Color intensity: Monochromatic
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