Mme. Dufresne
Pierre-Paul Prud'hon·c. 1816
Historical Context
Pierre-Paul Prud'hon's portrait of Madame Dufresne (c. 1816) exemplifies the uniquely personal style of this painter who stood apart from both the Neoclassical school of David and the emerging Romanticism of Delacroix. Prud'hon developed a soft, sfumato-like technique inspired by Leonardo da Vinci and Correggio that gave his portraits an intimate, dreamlike quality. Favored by both Napoleon and Empress Josephine, Prud'hon brought a rare warmth and psychological sensitivity to French portraiture during the turbulent years of Empire and Restoration.
Technical Analysis
Painted in oil on paper mounted on fabric, the portrait demonstrates Prud'hon's signature soft, blended modeling that creates a luminous, sfumato effect, with warm shadows and gentle transitions that distinguish his work from the harder contours of his Neoclassical contemporaries.
Provenance
Studio of the artist; Charles Boulanger de Boisfremont [1773-1838], probably bequeathed to his daughter, Henri Power; Probably Henri Power [d. 1864], probably to Charles Boulanger de Boisfremont fils; Probably Charles Boulanger de Boisfremont fils; (Boisfremont fils sale, Hôtel Drouot, Paris, April 9, 1870, no. 8, sold to Monsieur de Norzy); Monsieur de Norzy; M. Jeanne-Deslandes; (Sale, Hôtel Drouot, Paris, April 24, 1886, no. 52); Collection Henri Rochefort [1831-1913], Paris; Paul-Arthur Chéramy [1840-1912], Paris; (Chéramy sale, Galerie Georges Petit, Paris, May 5-7, 1908, no. 95, bought in); Probably Paul-Arthur Chéramy [1840-1912], Paris; (Chéramy estate sale, Hôtel Drouot, Paris, April 14-16, 1913, no. 391, sold to Jacob); Jacob; David David-Weill [1871-1952], Paris; Irwin Laughlin [1871-1941], Washington, D.C.; (Laughlin sale, Sotheby's, London, June 10, 1959, lot 123, possibly sold to Betts on behalf of Clifford Duits); Severance A. [1895-1989] and Greta Millikin [1903-1989], Cleveland, OH, given to the Cleveland Museum of Art; The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
