Portrait of a Young Woman, Jean Etienne
Liotard, ca 1760 Pastell
St Louis Art Museum
https://de.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Datei:Jean_Eti
enne_Liotard_-
_Portrait_of_a_Young_Woman.jpg
there is unfortunately very little information
about the sitter. According to research, she
was probably from the Caribbean and made
her way to Amsterdam in the mid 18th
century.
The exact date of this painting and identity of
this young woman is unknown. She is most
likely wearing a tignon, a head covering that
women of African descent in the French
Atlantic were required by sumptuary laws to
wear. The purpose of the so-called "tignon
laws" was to enforce the racial boundaries
between women of color and white women.
However, rather than being a badge of
dishonor, the tignon became quite
fashionable. It was even appropriated by
