{"title":"French Impressionist Portrait Paintings","description":"\u003ch2\u003eFrench Impressionist Portrait Paintings\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eFrench Impressionist portrait paintings bring together the human presence of portraiture and the light-filled immediacy of Impressionist painting. These works often feel vivid and alive, using broken brushwork and luminous color to suggest character rather than over-define it.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eWhat Collectors Look For\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eCollectors are drawn to the category because it softens formality without losing sophistication. The sitter remains central, yet atmosphere, tone and painterly touch become integral to the portrait’s success.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eStyle, Subject and Period Character\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe finest examples show how French artists used fleeting effects of light to reshape the portrait tradition. Faces, clothing and surrounding space all participate in an image that feels observed in motion rather than fixed in convention.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eHow to Evaluate Quality\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eCondition and color retention matter especially in Impressionist work, where the freshness of the surface contributes directly to the painting’s effect. A strong portrait should remain convincing in both likeness and paint handling.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eFrench Impressionist Portrait Paintings at M.S. Rau\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eM.S. Rau offers French Impressionist portrait paintings selected for light, color and artistic quality. Each work is considered for condition, visual vitality and the strength with which it joins portraiture to the Impressionist vision.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"jeune-fille-au-chien-by-berthe-morisot","title":"Jeune fille au chien by Berthe Morisot","description":"Berthe Morisot\u003cbr\u003e 1841-1895 | French \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cem\u003eJeune fille au chien\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e (\u003cem\u003eYoung girl with dog\u003c\/em\u003e) \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Stamped with signature \"Berthe Morisot\" (lower left)\u003cbr\u003e Oil on canvas \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e A pioneering figure of Impressionism, Berthe Morisot stands out not only as a leader of this revolutionary movement but also as one of the most groundbreaking women artists in history. This extraordinarily rare masterpiece, \u003cem\u003eJeune fille au chien\u003c\/em\u003e, is among her largest and most beautiful works available today. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Glowing with a luminous palette and an ethereal softness, \u003cem\u003eJeune fille au chien\u003c\/em\u003e was painted in one of the most important years of Morisot’s life. In the spring of 1892, Morisot achieved a monumental milestone with her first solo retrospective at Paris's prestigious Boussod, Valadon et Cie gallery—a first for a woman Impressionist. Just one month before the exhibition opened, her husband of nearly two decades, Eugène Manet, died. Grief-stricken, Morisot entered the most innovative year of her career, seeking solace in her art and reinventing herself as an artist. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Set in Morisot's garden at 40 Rue de Villejust, this captivating composition centers the stunning Jeanne Fourmanoir, the famous model who posed for both Morisot and Renoir during this period. Fourmanoir's distinctive cap and hair harmonize with the lush foliage, exemplifying the stylistic dialogue between Morisot and Renoir. This work reveals Morisot's evolution toward her softer, richer textures compared to her earlier energetic brushwork, creating a hazy, dreamlike quality that mirrors the emotional world of the artist in the final years of her life. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Fourmanoir was one of Morisot’s favorite subjects, frequently appearing in Morisot's iconic masterpieces, most notably as a cherry picker in \u003cem\u003eLe Cerisier\u003c\/em\u003e of 1891, now at the Musée Marmottan Monet. Our painting depicting this famed model also has distinguished provenance, once belonging to the major American collectors Ralph Coe of Cleveland and Harry and Doris Rubin of New York. Its remarkable exhibition history includes the important 1896 Durand-Ruel exhibition, organized shortly after Morisot's death by her distinguished peers: Edgar Degas, Claude Monet, Pierre-Auguste Renoir and Stephane Mallarmé. An incredible tribute to one of Impressionism's most visionary talents, this show was a grand event in the Parisian art scene. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Born in Bourges, France, in 1841, Berthe Morisot came from a wealthy family. Like many young girls of her social class, she received private art lessons beginning at the age of 11. Her teacher, the painter Joseph Guichard, helped to introduce her to the Parisian art scene. Through him, Morisot made the acquaintance of Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot and Édouard Manet, both of whom would have a profound impact on her career and artistic style. Morisot exhibited regularly at the Paris Salon from 1864 to 1873 until, in 1874, she officially joined and became a vital leader of the Impressionists, exhibiting in all but one of the eight Impressionist shows. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Today, Morisot's paintings remain some of the rarest Impressionist works on the market—she produced just 416 oil paintings, significantly less than Monet, Degas and Renoir. The majority of Morisot’s works are held in prestigious museum collections worldwide, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Tate Modern in London, the Musée du Louvre and the Musée d’Orsay in Paris. She has also been the focus of endless scholarship and landmark exhibitions, including a major retrospective at The Barnes Foundation in 2019 that traveled to the Musée National des Beaux-Arts du Québec, the Dallas Museum of Art and the Musée d’Orsay. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Painted 1892 \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Canvas: 25 1\/4\" high x 31 1\/2\" wide (64.14 x 80.01 cm)\u003cbr\u003e Framed: 35\" high x 41\" wide x 2 3\/8\" deep (88.90 x 104.14 x 5.91 cm) \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/rau-sfimages.s3.amazonaws.com\/dossier\/Dossier_32-0999.pdf\" target=\"new\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eView the Dossier\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Provenance:\u003cbr\u003e C.W. Kraushaar Galleries, New York\u003cbr\u003e Ralph M. Coe, Cleveland (acquired from the above, 1926)\u003cbr\u003e Sale, Sotheby's New York, January 14, 1959, lot 70 (sold by the above)\u003cbr\u003e Milch Gallery, New York (acquired at the above sale)\u003cbr\u003e Harry and Doris Rubin, New York (acquired from the above in 1959)\u003cbr\u003e Sale, Sotheby’s New York, May 7, 2008, lot 10 (sold by the above)\u003cbr\u003e Private collection (acquired at the above sale)\u003cbr\u003e M.S. Rau, New Orleans \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Literature:\u003cbr\u003e J. Rewald, \u003cem\u003eThe History of Impressionism\u003c\/em\u003e, New York, 1961, p. 573 (illustrated in color)\u003cbr\u003e M.-L. Bataille and G. Wildenstein, \u003cem\u003eBerthe Morisot, Catalogue des peintures, pastels et aquarelles\u003c\/em\u003e, Paris, 1961, p. 44, no. 311 (illustrated fig. 318)\u003cbr\u003e A. Clairet, D. Montalant and Y. Rouart, \u003cem\u003eBerthe Morisot, Catalogue Raisonné de l’oeuvre Peint\u003c\/em\u003e, Paris, 1997, p. 267, no. 315 (illustrated) \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Exhibited:\u003cbr\u003e Paris, Galerie Durand-Ruel et Cie., \u003cem\u003eBerthe Morisot (Madame Eugène Manet), Exposition de son oeuvre\u003c\/em\u003e, March 1896, p. 19, no. 29 (dated 1887)\u003cbr\u003e Paris, Galerie Bernheim, \u003cem\u003eRetrospective de Berthe Morisot\u003c\/em\u003e, June – July 1922\u003cbr\u003e Chicago, The Arts Club, \u003cem\u003eBerthe Morisot\u003c\/em\u003e, March-April 1943, no. 26 (titled \u003cem\u003eGirl with a Dog in a Garden\u003c\/em\u003e)\u003cbr\u003e New Haven, Yale University Art Gallery, \u003cem\u003ePictures Collected by Yale Alumni\u003c\/em\u003e, May-June 1956, no. 87 (illustrated; titled \u003cem\u003eJeanne Foumanoir in Madame Morsiot’s Garden, with the Little Dog\u003c\/em\u003e)\u003cbr\u003e New York, Wildenstein \u0026amp; Co., \u003cem\u003eBerthe Morisot\u003c\/em\u003e, November-December 1960, no. 58 (illustrated; titled \u003cem\u003eJeanne Fourmanoir et son Petit Chien Colas\u003c\/em\u003e)\u003cbr\u003e Turin, Galleria Civica d’arte Moderna e Contemporanea, \u003cem\u003eBerthe Morisot, Impressionist painter\u003c\/em\u003e, 16 October 2024 – 9 March 2025, no. 38","brand":"M.S. Rau","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44024810176647,"sku":"32-0999","price":4450000.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0083\/2471\/0466\/files\/32-0999_1_2b7d756b-c561-4397-91ea-a096d7affdc8.png?v=1780145876"}],"url":"https:\/\/rauantiques.com\/collections\/french-impressionist-portrait-paintings.oembed","provider":"M.S. Rau","version":"1.0","type":"link"}