The hairdressing lesson, French school circa 1750

The hairdressing lesson, French school circa 1750

Very beautiful oil on canvas depicting an interior scene in a richly decorated living room.
The scene, sketched from life, shows us a hairdressing session of a lady of the nobility.
Richly dressed in a beautiful pink and silver satin bodice dress, she is seated in the middle of the room, she is framed by her little daughter on the left who is holding a rose and her husband seated near her who is talking to her. , as the family greyhound walks through the living room.
Meanwhile, her personal hairdresser is busy lifting her hairstyle with the help of large pins, while her companion brings her a lace cap.
To the left, near the window, a table is set on which rests scissors, finely crafted boxes and flasks in gold and silver, as well as a torch.
The richness of the furnishings, notably the chair, the bronze vanity mirror or the master of the house's gold embroidered clothes tell us that we are among the elite of the nobility.

Oil on its original canvas.

Louis XVI style gilt wood frame.

18th century French school circa 1750.

Dimensions:

Frame: Width: 64 cm; Height: 51cm
Canvas: Width: 54 cm; Height: 41cm

Our opinion :

In the manner of a Carmontelle, our author gives us here an intimate scene which perfectly symbolizes the luxury and refinement of the Enlightenment.
Fashion will take off in Paris in the 18th century, among textiles, perfumes and accessories, hairdressing will hold a prominent place in this exceptional French which will shine throughout the world.
The finesse of the details, the choice of colors and the rendering of textures send us back to a good painter who perfectly masters his subject, unfortunately despite our research he remains anonymous to this day.
An old inscription indicates that the mistress of the house would be "Mme d'Este", possibly Marie-Thérèse-Félicité d'Este, the wife of the Duke of Penthièvre.