Leave Paris and its lively boulevards behind and prefer the gentleness of the 18th century. The Cognacq-Jay Museum resurrects the golden age of pastel during a delicate exhibition, a golden era which saw the flourishing of the mastery of virtuoso draftsmen such as Maurice-Quentin de La Tour , the “prince of pastellists” at court, or that of his great rival Jean-Baptiste Perronneau, favorite of the bourgeoisie. To highlight the art of pastel in all its nuances, the Parisian institution has taken out the jewel of its collection from its reserves, starting with this grandiose portrait of President de Rieux, which remains famous for the liveliness of her gaze. and that half-smile that you can see at the corners of your lips. Added to this French masterpiece are those of three British pastellists recognized as much for their soft workmanship as the dazzling freshness of their powdery hues. Between the grace of Vigée Le Brun's models, the tranquility of Watteau's intimate representations or the frivolity of Boucher's gallant and rustic pastoral scenes, many other extremely fragile treasures on paper are revealed here, before these finally find at the end of this precious exhibition the darkness that is their due.