18th Century Pastel, Lady Of The Directory, In 1797 In Her Living Room, 18th Century.

Pastel from the end of the 18th century in 1797, in its frame and under its glass, both original, of a very elegant woman from the new society of the Directory, seated in her salon from the Louis XVI period. Lady wearing a loose and rich silk dress, expression of the renewal of luxury in women's fashion, in light and luminous fabric whose folds and volutes have silver reflections, the sides of the shoulders are emphasized by a balloon shape. The hairstyle is that found on Madame Tallien or Madame Récamier at the same time, then under the Consulate and the Empire.
The elegance of this woman is enriched by coral jewelry in drops in the ears and in rows for the neckband. On the right hand against her lips is placed beak forward a beautiful bird of the breed of 'singers' just out of its pretty red cage. In her left hand she holds a "frills shuttle" surrounded by ribbons, no woman of quality should have in society, or represented, empty-handed, the shuttles were always precious luxury objects. Sitting on a chair called "en gerbe", she has her right elbow resting on her fringed shoulder shawl placed carelessly on the writing table, one foot dressed in an indoor silk mule is placed on the stool for this purpose, upholstered in blue velvet, the other foot is invisible under the fall of the dress. In this pastel of the Directory is present in the living room everything that still makes the classical environment of the end of the 18th century with its living room furniture; one can notice engravings on the walls, a marble fireplace with its bronze andirons, two terracotta busts of the couple under glass bells and that of a child placed between two candlesticks, the three on the fireplace at the foot of a framed wall mirror, a tall piece of furniture in the background.
The floor is covered with a quality blue carpet dotted with the same simple light flower, a pattern harmoniously distributed over the entire surface.
The condition of the whole is of quality.