In this portrait of incomparable grace, Baron Gérard immortalizes Juliette Récamier, one of the most admired women of her time, in all her natural allure.
The artist depicts her in a relaxed yet studied pose, seated on an Etruscan chair within a neoclassical setting of elegant columns evoking an ancient bath.
Her white Empire-style dress, enhanced by an ochre shawl with rich borders, embodies the quintessence of period fashion. The particularly refined treatment of light accentuates the delicate complexion of the young woman and the vaporous transparency of the fabrics.
Her facial expression, both modest and confident, perfectly conveys the legendary charm of this salonnière who captivated the most illustrious minds of her era.
Further Context
- Portrait of Juliette Récamier, née Bernard (1777-1849) by Baron Gérard, c. 1802-1805
- 225 x 148 cm
- Paris Musées, Musée Carnavalet, Histoire de Paris
- https://www.parismuseescollections.paris.fr/fr/musee-carnavalet/oeuvres/portrait-de-juliette-recamier-nee-bernard-1777-1849
Baron François Gérard (1770-1837) was one of the most celebrated painters of his time, heir to Davidian neoclassicism and the portraitist of choice for European high society. Initially David’s student, he developed a more fluid and graceful style than his master, particularly suited to fashionable portraiture.
As principal painter to Kings Louis XVIII and Charles X, he excelled in the art of flattering his subjects while maintaining their likeness, combining Empire elegance with pre-Romantic sensibility. His exceptional career saw him paint portraits of Napoleon and his family as well as the sovereigns of the Restoration period.
