Woman in a Riding Habit (L'Amazone)
This painting of a horsewoman (in French, amazone) was first observed in Courbet’s studio in the late 1850s by the artist and critic Zacharie Astruc (1833–1907). He did not provide the sitter’s name, and her identity has never been confirmed. The artist Mary Cassatt admired this picture as "the finest woman’s portrait Courbet ever did." What very likely began as a portrait has become emblematic of the independent modern woman. Women riding horseback were still a rare sight, and for a woman to ride unaccompanied by a man was considered scandalous.
Artwork Details
- Title: Woman in a Riding Habit (L'Amazone)
- Artist: Gustave Courbet (French, Ornans 1819–1877 La Tour-de-Peilz)
- Date: ca. 1855–59
- Medium: Oil on canvas
- Dimensions: 45 1/2 x 35 1/8 in. (115.6 x 89.2 cm)
- Classification: Paintings
- Credit Line: H. O. Havemeyer Collection, Bequest of Mrs. H. O. Havemeyer, 1929
- Object Number: 29.100.59
- Curatorial Department: European Paintings
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