Portrait of a Young Woman
Artist: Horace Vernet (French, 1789-1863)
Date: 1831
Dimensions:
48 7/16 × 39 1/8 in. (123 × 99.4 cm)
Frame: 60 × 51 × 5 in. (152.4 × 129.5 × 12.7 cm)
Medium: Oil on canvas.
Classification: Paintings
Credit Line: Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Edward H. Alexander
Object number: 1982.131
Label Text:The woman in this charming portrait by Horace Vernet sits nestled in the landscape, almost merging with it. Her white dress contrasts strikingly with the dark foliage. By linking the woman with the landscape in such a physical way, Vernet expressed the sensibilities of the Romantic movement of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. The Romantics saw expressive emotion in Nature and humanity’s relationship to it (see also Turner, Gros, Delacroix, and Martin in this gallery).
Although the identity of the woman has not been discovered, Vernet includes details that suggest aspects of her personality and disposition. Her white muslin and pink ribbon and belt evoke girlish innocence. She may, however, be betrothed: the violets she holds in her gloved hand traditionally symbolized faithfulness, while juniper (the bush that seems to engulf her) signified chastity.
Vernet came from a family of artists. His grandfather, Claude-Joseph Vernet (1714–1789), a celebrated landscape artist, painted the canvas Evening, located in Gallery 28B.
Although the identity of the woman has not been discovered, Vernet includes details that suggest aspects of her personality and disposition. Her white muslin and pink ribbon and belt evoke girlish innocence. She may, however, be betrothed: the violets she holds in her gloved hand traditionally symbolized faithfulness, while juniper (the bush that seems to engulf her) signified chastity.
Vernet came from a family of artists. His grandfather, Claude-Joseph Vernet (1714–1789), a celebrated landscape artist, painted the canvas Evening, located in Gallery 28B.
Not on view
In Collection(s)