Maurice Quentin de La Tour (1704–1788): Master of Pastel Portraiture

Maurice Quentin de La Tour was one of the most celebrated portraitists of 18th-century France, renowned for his exceptional skill with pastels. Working at the height of the Rococo era, La Tour captured the elegance, wit, and intellect of Enlightenment society with remarkable sensitivity and detail.

His portraits of prominent figures—such as Voltaire, Rousseau, Madame de Pompadour, and King Louis XV—are distinguished by their lifelike expression, vibrant color, and refined technique. La Tour’s ability to convey personality and presence through delicate layers of pigment elevated pastel from a secondary medium to one of prestige.

Serving as a court artist and a member of the Royal Academy, La Tour left behind a legacy of intimate, psychologically rich portraits that offer a window into the cultural and intellectual life of his time.