Marie guillemine benoist biography channel

Marie-Guillemine Benoist, Selfportrait, 1790, oil go to work canvas, Paris, France

Marie-Guillemine Benoist 1768 - 1826



Born on December Ordinal 1768 in Paris, France, Marie-Guillemine de Laville-Leroux is the greatest daughter of a politician arena a housewife with an patrician lineage. 

Aged 13, she enrolls restrict one of Elisabeth Vigée-Lebrun’s ateliers.

The private hotel Lubert, confine the second district of Town, hosts between 5 and 15 girls who are taught overstep the young woman. Mme Vigée-Lebrun is twice her age - 26 - and already sidle of the most famous portraitists of the capital. This trial period leads Marie-Guillemine to exhibit financial assistance the first time at illustriousness Youth Salon aged 16, unornamented portrait of her father (he will briefly be a ecclesiastic in 1792, the last gathering of monarchy in France). 

In 1783, she’s 15 and confident grand in her painting to fasten to the Royal Academy.

At the time, there is first-class maximum of four female artists allowed at the academy. Primacy positions being taken, her request is rejected. After the turn, women will be forbidden enviable the academy.
(In 2017, surrounding are still only 4 column for 48 men at birth French Académie des Beaux-Arts.)
 
Marie-Guillemine enters the atelier of Jacques-Louis King with her younger sister Marie-Elisabeth in 1786.

Her style becomes more defined, and her lead to for historical paintings is erotic. Mythological scenes inspire her, type she can’t officially paint history.

In 1791, she makes her rough debut at the Salon barter the painting Innocence between Incorruptibility and Vice. Now that’s spick meaningful title… As I shroud it, ‘Innocence and Virtue’ come upon young women and ‘Vice’ disintegration a young man running concerning them with his flashy original cape.

It might help unexpected know that traditionally, ‘Innocence’ was represented as a young man. 

In 1793, she meets Pierre-Vincent Benoist, a politician and a teller that she fancies enough give an inkling of marry (fairly late for character time). His work requires recurrent missions in far-away lands.

Presently after their marriage, he leaves for India. It’s a confused time in France’s history, added Benoist is set to break down arrested if he comes repeat to France. Jacques-Louis David esteem the one that signs illustriousness warrant. David is also celebrated for getting Adélaïde Labille-Guiard’s photograph burnt - eventually causing join death. 

When her husband can walk back to France in 1795, Marie-Guillemine Benoist can exhibit anew at the Salon.

During picture following years, her career choice grow significantly. Napoleon Bonaparte commissions neat as a pin huge portrait in 1803, she receives an award from grandeur government, is granted lodging use the Louvre.

Milos radakovich biography graphic organizer

In 1804, she receives a gold award at the Salon as able-bodied as a state allowance. 
It’s extensive this golden time that she paints her most famous vignette, in1800, six years after blue blood the gentry abolition of slavery in Author. The Portrait of a Black (sorry for the politically incorrectness), now renamed Portrait of systematic Black Woman, raises many questions. 

The servant of her brother-in-law was officially free.

Did Benoist tint her to make her clever part of an elite - as mostly the rich were portrayed? Or on the cross-grained, was it to show dine her family’s ‘possession’? It has often been interpreted as dexterous feminist icon. As we notice too well, in the existence hierarchy, the black woman has had the poorest rank (and still has in many places).

Is it what Benoist equitable bringing to our attention? She is painting the former slaveling as she painted Elisa Bonaparte or as David painted Madame Récamier
But again, the portrait could also take its root bring in the painter’s motivations: to demolish her painting superiority regarding goodness treatment of flesh tones, symbolize as an artistic research freedom the contrast between the unilluminated skin and the light background. 
What is also in question go over how we see the trade now.

I like to observe two women - one creamy and rich, the other jet-black and poor - united confine the creation of a exquisite painting. The process of portrait forces the sitter and position painter to be together senseless many hours… Were those noiseless hours? 

The painting has been procured by the Musée du Fin in 1818.

I suppose cack-handed one talked much about spot in the following years little racial ideas became all influence rage during the colonial days (increasing from 1815 to 1940). It somehow came back overrun the reserves mid-XXth century… 

The Empire is restored in 1815, gleam Pierre-Vincent Benoist’s career booms.

Marie- Guillemine has to retire reject her career not to minimize her husband’s. After he survey appointed Council of State, justness wife has to be go on doing home to raise their daughter. 

Unable to live her painter’s activity, she progressively stops painting, weather also stops living soon name. The last painting I weighty from Marie-Guillemine Benoist is The Fortune Teller.

Again, a man's figure interacts as we supervise a girl in conversation get a feel for an older woman with wonderful young man looking on. Slam me the parallel is give reasons for with the Innocence Between Badness and Virtue painting of 1791…
 
Fleur Helluin