Shop art print and framed art Portrait de Madeleine by Marie-Guillemine Benoist

Portrait of a Black Woman is a painting by the painter Marie-Guillemine Benoist, executed in 1800 and now in the Musée du Louvre, Paris. Painted just six years after the abolition of slavery in the French colonies, it symbolises the emancipation of black men and women. With this work, Benoist broke with the habit of Western painters of depicting the inhabitants of non-European countries in exotic costumes. Benoist presented this work at the Salon de Paris in 1800, provoking expectation and surprise, as well as criticism from some quarters for artistically equating slaves with free people. The half-length portrait measures 81 cm × 65 cm (32 in × 26 in). It depicts a young black woman, sitting in a gilt armchair mostly covered with a blue cloth, in front of a plain light background. She is seated in a three-quarter position towards her left, but her head turns to look directly at the viewer with a self-assured expression. She is wearing a white cloth tied as a headdress, and a white dress tied with a red cord. The loose end of the headcloth hangs down on the left side of her face, but her right ear is visible with a hoop hearing. Her right arm rests in her lap; her left arm is holding up the dress, but it has slipped down to reveal her right breast. Her legs fall outside the frame. The realistic dark skin tones – long considered a challenging topic for European artists – shows Benoit's artistic skill. It is signed by the subject's right hand with the artist's maiden name and [...]

 

This artwork is a painting from the classical period. It belongs to the neoclassicism style.

 

« Portrait de Madeleine » is kept at Musée du Louvre, Paris, France.

 

Find the full description of Portrait de Madeleine by Marie-Guillemine Benoist on Wikipedia.