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In the final version the woman is shown above the man with a bare head as the man's scientific instruments are spread on the table to the right and her artistic interests are spread on the chair to the left. The colors are muted and serious, the grey wall austere and blank, the pose and the garments casual. Her hair is in an unkempt peasant style that can be seen in many portraits within this three-year period. But no one was fooled. Even the pretention of having a full length portrait painted was usually reserved for royalty.

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In the final version the woman is shown above the man with a bare head as the man's scientific instruments are spread on the table to the right and her artistic interests are spread on the chair to the left. The colors are muted and serious, the grey wall austere and blank, the pose and the garments casual. Her hair is in an unkempt peasant style that can be seen in many portraits within this three-year period. But no one was fooled. Even the pretention of having a full length portrait painted was usually reserved for royalty.
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Tarnport (tarnport@mastodon.green)'s status on Friday, 02-May-2025 14:37:38 JST Tarnport

David. Lavoisier portrait, 1788.
I never get tired of this one. There is so much history packed into this one rectangle. In the last year before the Revolution the elite tried urgently to scrub off their pretentions. Fashion changed in a whirlwind and we know from infrared that this portrait was repainted to dress them way down as modest, loving Enlightenment scientists instead of freewheeling wealthy aristocratic fops. The man was beheaded anyway. It's such a last gasp. #Painting

In conversation about 3 days ago from mastodon.green permalink