Provenance
Breysse, Paris, by 1875.[1] Jean-Baptiste Faure [1830-1914], Paris; (his sale, Hôtel Drouot, 29 April 1878, no. 15). Jules Paton, Paris, by 1884.[2] Acquired 1906 by (Boussod Valadon et Cie., successeur de Goupil et. Cie, Paris); sold 1908 to Josse et Gaston Bernheim;[3] in the private collection of Bernheim-Jeune, Paris, by 1909; purchased June 1931 through (Etienne Bignou) by Chester Dale [1883-1962], New York;[4] bequest 1963 to NGA.
[1] Lent by Breysse to _Exposition de l'oeuvre de Corot_, Ecole des Beaux-Arts, Paris, 1875, no. 52, as _Etude de femme_.
[2] According to Chester Dale papers in NGA curatorial files. The painting does not appear in the only recorded sale of the Paton collection, held 24 April 1883.
[3] Goupil et. Cie/Boussod Valadon et. Cie Stock Book no. 15, p. 165, no. 28865, Getty Research Institute.
[4] Lent by Bernheim-Jeune to _Rétrospective de figures de Corot_, Salon d'Autumne, Paris, 1909, no. 11, as _l'Italienne Agostina_, according to Chester Dale papers in NGA curatorial files. A photograph of this painting is included among the albums from the gallery of Etienne Bignou now at the Documentation, Musée d'Orsay, Paris (copies in NGA curatorial files), which suggests that Bignou was in possession of the picture at one time, probably in conjunction with Bernheim-Jeune. A letter dated 7 August 1931 from Bignou to M. Knoedler & Co., New York, details shipping instructons, M. Knoedler & Co. Records, Getty Research Institute (copy NGA curatorial files).
Accession Number
1963.10.108
Medium
oil on canvas
Dimensions
overall: 132.4 x 97.6 cm (52 1/8 x 38 7/16 in.) | framed: 173.7 x 138.4 cm (68 3/8 x 54 1/2 in.)
Classification
Painting
Credit Line
Chester Dale Collection
Tags
Painting Impressionist & Modern (1851–1900) Oil Painting Canvas French
Background & Context
Background Story
Agostina (1866) is a portrait of one of the most famous models in 19th-century Parisian art. Agostina Segatori, an Italian woman who modeled for several of the most significant painters of the period—including Corot, Degas, and Édouard Manet—was also the proprietor of the Café du Tambourin, a gathering place for the artistic avant-garde. Corot's portrait captures Agostina's distinctive beauty with the warmth and directness that characterized his figure painting. The year 1866 places this during the period when Paris's artistic community was most vibrant—the Café Guerbois, where Manet held court, was at the height of its influence, and the debates that would produce Impressionism were being argued nightly. Agostina's presence in the work of multiple important painters makes her a connecting figure—a link between Corot's generation and the younger painters who would transform French art. Her café, the Tambourin, would later host van Gogh's exhibition of works from the Petit Boulevard series, connecting her to yet another generation of artistic innovation. Corot's portrait, with its intimate approach and warm tonality, captures Agostina as a person rather than a type—the individual beauty that attracted multiple painters and the entrepreneurial spirit that made her a significant figure in Parisian cultural life.
Cultural Impact
Corot's portrait of Agostina influenced how artistic models were represented in 19th-century French art, connecting the model's profession to her personal identity. The painting influenced how the Parisian artistic community's social networks were understood, documenting the connections between models, artists, and café culture. Agostina's portrait influenced how the role of women in the 19th-century art world was reconstructed, revealing models who were also businesswomen and cultural figures.
Why It Matters
This painting matters because it captures a significant figure in 19th-century Parisian artistic culture—Agostina Segatori, who was simultaneously a model for major painters and a proprietor of a café that served the artistic avant-garde. Corot's portrait preserves her presence with the warmth that his generation of painters brought to the people they knew and admired.
