Rose-Adélaïde Ducreux

Anonymous sale, Paris, Galerie Georges Petit, 4 May 1921, lot 15 (as Marie-Gabrielle Capet);
Acquired by the present owner from a New York private collector in 1984. 

J. Baillio, "Une artiste méconnue: Rose Adélaïde Ducreux," in L'Oeil, No. 399, October 1988, p. 23, reproduced in color, pp. 24-25, fig. 8-10.

Relined a bit tightly and surface has been slightly pressed as a result. overall the paint surface has been quite well retained and detail and coloration are well preserved. there are some small areas of abrasion in part of her fichu collar, in lace of right sleeve and at the right side of her turban. examination under UV light shows some retouching to turban, mostly on right side, and a bit in hair. her face and other flesh tones look very good. some retouching in the blue tablecloth t right side and in lower left background; only a very few, tiny ones in lower portion of gown. for a painting of this size, it has survived remarkably well and does not appear to have sustained any tears or punctures. the portrait presents a very impressive image and can be hung in its present state. Offered in an elaborately carved and gilt wood frame with a carved garland of flowers and shield at upper center.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

This refined and elegant portrait was executed by Rose-Adélaïde Ducreux, the daughter of the well-known portraitist Joseph Ducreux (1735-1802), and one of the rare, critically successful female artists of late eighteenth-century France. Though her life was cut short by typhoid, in her brief career Ducreux exhibited at a number of important exhibitions, including the January 1786 Salon de la Correspondance, and in the 1791 Salon at the Louvre. She showed two works at the latter show, including her most famous work, Self–Portrait with a Harp (New York, Metropolitan Museum of Art). The present portrait is closely related to the Metropolitan picture, in that they both intently focus on the luscious fabrics of the clothing and soft furnishings. The floral-patterned carpets in both works are in fact identical.