19th-Century French School

About the Portrait

This 1830s portrait depicts an elegant woman shown in half-length profile, set against a draped backdrop while gazing toward the viewer. She wears a blue evening gown adorned with delicate floral designs, accompanied by a yellow chiffon shawl and a long white glove held in her left hand. The composition and costume details reflect the refined aesthetic of French society during the Restoration and July Monarchy periods.

This unsigned oil on canvas is a representative piece of the French Romanticism movement and is believed to be from the circle of renowned painter Louis Hersent (Paris, 1777-1860). The painting demonstrates the characteristic qualities of Hersent's circle: careful attention to costume detail, refined color harmonies, and a dignified yet intimate approach to portraiture that appealed to the French bourgeoisie and aristocracy of the 1830s.

The work has been professionally relined and restored and is presented in a gilt frame in the French Empire style, complete with intricate palmette decorations. The painting remains in very good condition and exemplifies the high level of portrait painting practiced in Paris during the early 19th century.

About Louis Hersent and His Circle

Louis Hersent (1777-1860) was a prominent French painter of the Romantic period, known for his historical subjects, religious compositions, and refined portraits. Born in Paris in 1777, Hersent studied under Jacques-Louis David and Jean-Baptiste Regnault, absorbing the neoclassical traditions that would inform his mature style.

Hersent achieved considerable success during his career, exhibiting regularly at the Paris Salon from 1802 onward. He received numerous official commissions from the French government and was awarded the Légion d'Honneur in 1825. His historical paintings, such as Ruth and Boaz and Daphnis and Chloe, were widely admired, while his portraits captured members of the French elite with sensitivity and technical skill.

As a successful academic painter, Hersent attracted students and followers who worked in his manner, creating what art historians refer to as his "circle." Paintings from the circle of Hersent share his characteristic approach to composition, color, and the rendering of fabrics and textures, though they may lack the master's signature.

Works from Hersent's circle are valued for their quality and their representation of French Romantic portraiture during a pivotal period in French history. They document the fashion, social customs, and aesthetic values of the Restoration and July Monarchy periods, when France was rebuilding its cultural identity after the Napoleonic era.

Louis Hersent died in Paris in 1860, leaving behind a significant body of work held in major French museums, including the Louvre and the Musée des Beaux-Arts in several French cities.

Technical Details

Attribution: Circle of Louis Hersent (1777-1860)
Signed: Unsigned
Date: 1830s
Medium: Oil on canvas
Condition: Very good condition, relined and restored
Dimensions: 81.5 x 66 cm / 32 x 26 in
Frame: 95 x 79 cm / 37½ x 31 in, French Empire style gilt wood with palmettes, very good condition
Origin: France

A French Romantic portrait from the circle of a Légion d'Honneur recipient and Paris Salon exhibitor.