Provenance
Mme. Fourrier, Paris [this and the following according to Knoedler stock book no. 15049]; sold to Knoedler & Co. for £13,000, April 23, 1920; sold by Knoedler to Martin A. Ryerson who was probably acting on behalf of the Art Institute for £20,000, May 6, 1920 [according to the receipt of sale, Art Institute Archives]; Art Institute of Chicago, 1921.
Accession Number
80463
Medium
Oil on canvas
Dimensions
92.1 × 73 cm (36 1/4 × 28 3/4 in.); Framed: 105.5 × 86.7 × 7.7 cm (41 1/2 × 34 1/8 × 3 in.)
Classification
Painting
Credit Line
The Stickney Fund
Background & Context
Background Story
Henri Regnault's Portrait of a Young Woman (1863) was painted when the artist was just 20 years old. This early work shows the young Regnault already in command of the academic portrait tradition. The young woman is shown in three-quarter view, rendered with precision and sensitivity. The palette is restrained, the handling careful and controlled. This portrait is a valuable document of Regnault's early career, showing the foundation upon which his brief but brilliant career was built.
Cultural Impact
Regnault's early portraits demonstrate the academic discipline that underlay his later, more dramatic works.
Why It Matters
This early portrait shows the young Regnault mastering the academic tradition, the careful handling revealing the promise of a career cut tragically short.
