The Artist's Wife with a Book
1752
pastel
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
1752
pastel
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
This drawing shows a woman sitting with a book open in her lap. She’s wearing a lace cap, a high-necked dress, and a yellow bow at her collar. Her hands rest on the book, and she looks calmly at the viewer, with a slight smile. The artist used soft colors and gentle shading to make her face and clothes look three-dimensional. The background is plain, so all the focus stays on her. Next, check out chiaroscuro to see how light and shadow work in art like this.
![A Woman Wearing a Straw Hat [Madame de Pompadour?]](https://pub-3a17a9933ad74fb28aa30fa758592f23.r2.dev/artworks/a8849525097954a5/thumb.webp)
