Alleged self-portrait of the artist with his daughter
oil on canvas,
58. 5 x 48 cm
a portrait formerly attributed to jacques-louis david and kept at the musée des beaux-arts in rouen (c. 1798, oil on canvas, 176. 5 x 130 cm) is similar to this one. It is a portrait of an artist, first identified as rose-adélaïde ducreux, then, in another publication, as catherine guéret. But an article, published in the scientific journal apollo, suggests identifying this painting as being a self-portrait of adèle romanée. The “portrait of jeanne-marie mercier” (1799, oil on canvas, 75 x 57 cm, musée du louvre), the painter’s mother, painted in 1799, seems to confirm the identity of the young woman. The features, particularly around the eyes, are similar in certain points. The treatment of lines and surface are similar. This treatment also reappears in the “portrait of a harpist” kept at the museum of fine arts in lille (around 1795, canvas, 92 x 72 cm). Regardless, the resemblance of the two models is undeniable. The workmanship is also identical: the face is gently rendered, the drawing supple, the complexions porcelain and the palette both soft and luminous (the white of the skin is enhanced by pink tints, the white of the dress is dazzling and responds to the sky blue of the ribbon). Also, their hairstyles are similar. Finally, note the presence of a child in these two paintings. The salon registers mention two self-portraits by the artist, one in 1800 and the other in 1810. Charles-paul landon, who writes about adèle romanée's paintings at the salon of 1800, mentions another painted by herself at the previous salon, that is, at the salon of 1798. If this painting is, in fact, a self-portrait exhibited at the salon of 1798 or 1800, the child painted by the artist would be aglaé-emée romany, the eldest daughter of adèle romanée, then aged ten. Perhaps exhibited at the salon of 1800, under number 323 under the title "portrait of the author with his two children". Date: End of 18th century or early 19th century.
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