Artwork Page for Sophie Crouzet

Details / Information for Sophie Crouzet

Sophie Crouzet

c. 1801

Louis Hersent

(French, 1777–1860)
Culture
France, late 18th-early 19th century
Medium
oil on fabric
Measurements
Framed: 101 x 85.5 x 12.5 cm (39 3/4 x 33 11/16 x 4 15/16 in.); Unframed: 81.2 x 65 cm (31 15/16 x 25 9/16 in.)
Credit Line
Grace Rainey Rogers Fund 1943.659
Public Domain
You can copy, modify, and distribute this work, all without asking permission. Learn more about CMA's Open Access Initiative.
Location
202 French Neoclassical Decorative Arts
Print
?

Did You Know?

Sophie Crouzet, the sitter in this portrait, is a first cousin of the artist.

Description

The sitter's dress deliberately evokes ancient Roman costume. However, the white muslin and straightforward cut also derives from earlier English fashions that favored simplicity in contrast to the elaborate, colorful clothing favored earlier in the 1700s. The transparency of her dress also carries political and cultural meaning: during the French Revolution in 1789, costume began to signify political allegiance, a sign of the character of the person who wore it. For women, transparency became increasingly literal, as in the sheer fabric worn by Crouzet, who came from a family of active revolutionaries.
A vertical oil portrait depicts a woman with a light skin tone seated and turned toward our right, her eyes meeting ours. She wears a white high-waisted gown with puffed sleeves, and her dark hair is styled in a bun with loose ringlets. Her left hand holds a paper. On a wooden table to our left, a bowl holds a quill beside more papers. Shadows fall across the gray paneled wall behind her.

Sophie Crouzet

c. 1801

Louis Hersent

(French, 1777–1860)
France, late 18th-early 19th century

See Also

Visually Similar by AI

Contact Us

The information about this object, including provenance, may not be currently accurate. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please fill out the appropriate request form linked below:

Update or Correct Artwork Information

Imagery or Rights for Non-Open-Access Artworks

Report a Website Issue

Further Questions About This Artwork