User:MaxfieldWalter2974

In the galleries of the Art Institute of Chicago hangs the painting "Madame de Pastoret and Her Son" by Jacques Louis David. This painting reflects the sweetness of motherhood as Madame Pastoret darns a bonnet next to her sleeping child.

This painting by Davis is soft and lovely, it is clearly set in the bedroom or nursery of an upper class home in late 18th Century France. The scene shows Madame Pastoret mending on cloth that is obviously for her child. As you look at her face you can see calmness and serenity even though we as the viewer have interrupted her from her work. She is wearing a fashionable gown which was not in form, even for upper class ladies of that time, but most likely the client (or her husband) wanted to show her at her best even while at work. The handling of the folds and drapes on the dress is masterful, you can almost touch them. The cloth that she is working on (which appears to be a bonnet for the child) is sculpted by shadow on the interior of the folds to give depth and continuity to the image.

Madame Pastoret is seated in full sun which beams right down on her and also part of the crib (though the child is in shade). Her face is the focus of the painting, it is richly painted with rouge on her cheeks and red on her lips (again not appropriate make-up for darning). Her head has a full rich body of hair that swirls and drapes its way down the neck and shoulder of our sitter. The background behind her is plain and not filled with details so as to avoid conflict with the subject. The crib is well rendered and the wood has a solid tone. The child is quietly sleeping while his or her mother is at work.

The only flaw in the painting is the lack of a needle in the hand of Madame Pastoret, a small price to pay for such a lovely scene. Either the needle was overlooked or perhaps the client did not want the object in the painting, in any event the is no needle in her hand. The crib and the area under the crib offer the richest tones in the painting aside from the rouge and lip-stick on Madame's face. This is truly a lovely, gentle work of art.

Stephen F. Condren - Artist 作業着