Portrait of a woman, possibly Sébastienne Gallet
This recently discovered portrait is an early work, dating to when the artist was twenty years old. It is presumed to depict Sébastienne Gallet, a miniaturist whom he would marry in 1799. The sitter closely resembles the Portrait de Mme Harriet, dating approximately five years later and today in the Musée Marmottan-Monet, Paris (inv. 1252).
The rich dark tones are characteristic of the manière noire style popularized by Jean-Baptiste Isabey, a fellow student in David’s atelier. In its moody lighting and lush natural setting, it embodies a proto-romantic sensibility, variations of which also emerged in the work of other young artists in the early years of the French republic.
Artwork Details
- Title: Portrait of a woman, possibly Sébastienne Gallet
- Artist: Fulchran Jean Harriet (French, Paris 1776–1805 Rome)
- Date: 1796
- Medium: Black chalk or fabricated black chalk, white chalk, and graphite
- Dimensions: Diameter: 13 in. (33 cm)
- Classification: Drawings
- Credit Line: Purchase, Stephen A. Geiger Gift, 2023
- Object Number: 2023.642
- Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints
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