Madame Frederic Breyer (Fanny Hélène Van Bruyssel, 1830–1894)
Courbet made this painting during an 1858 trip to Brussels intended to cultivate a Belgian market for his work. It was commissioned as a betrothal portrait by the sitter’s fiancé, a doctor originally from Germany who belonged to progressive political circles, like Courbet himself. Shown in Antwerp in the summer of 1858, the picture earned praise for its forthright portrayal of a woman who was not conventionally beautiful, but seemed "strong-willed . . . and full of spirit." The painting remained in the sitter’s family until it was purchased in 1907, at the recommendation of Mary Cassatt, by Louisine and H.O. Havemeyer.
Artwork Details
- Title: Madame Frederic Breyer (Fanny Hélène Van Bruyssel, 1830–1894)
- Artist: Gustave Courbet (French, Ornans 1819–1877 La Tour-de-Peilz)
- Date: 1858
- Medium: Oil on canvas
- Dimensions: 36 x 28 5/8 in. (91.4 x 72.7 cm)
- Classification: Paintings
- Credit Line: H. O. Havemeyer Collection, Bequest of Mrs. H. O. Havemeyer, 1929
- Object Number: 29.100.118
- Curatorial Department: European Paintings
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