I like furniture. I like François de Troy. And I like coloring. As part of the DelPHI Summer Institute, I had the opportunity to work with Photoshop in a workshop at the University of Delaware's Student Multimedia Design Center. This experience allowed me to enjoy the above three things in a way that will be useful in presenting powerpoints and public presentations on my research.
The painting posted here, a circa 1728 work by François de Troy, is in the collection of Houghton Hall in Norfolk, England. What started as an exercise using the "history brush" function ended with me making this masterpiece as I colored in the furniture and various decorative objects. Although the figures' costumes showcase a multitude of contrasting colors, I was struck at the profusion of gold and yellow tones used to capture the furnishings and reminded of the importance of such detail. Gilt furniture mounts, clocks, hardware, and fixtures such as wall sconces could all be found in both public and private spaces of Québec's château Saint-Louis in the eighteenth century. Like Versailles, the colonial governor's residence underscored the power and prestige of France and the absolute monarchy that colonial governors represented.