About this artwork
Following his father’s death in 1757, the young Jacques-Louis David was raised in the house of his uncle, architect François Buron, and his wife, Marie-Josèphe Fromont. Madame Buron was particularly supportive of David’s desire to become a painter, in opposition to her husband’s wish that he study architecture. In this intimate early portrait, David presented his aunt looking up momentarily from her reading to acknowledge the viewer with a warm reserve. Her glance suggests an affectionate bond between the painter and sitter and displays the ambitious young artist’s awareness of contemporary conventions for depicting middle-class women of sensibility.
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Status
- On View, Gallery 216
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Department
- Painting and Sculpture of Europe
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Artist
- Jacques Louis David
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Title
- Madame François Buron
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Place
- France (Artist's nationality:)
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Date
- 1769
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Medium
- Oil on canvas
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Inscriptions
- Signed and dated: J.L. David 1769 (at right, above sitter's shoulder)
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Dimensions
- 66.3 × 55.5 cm (26 1/8 × 21 7/8 in.); Framed: 92.4 × 81.6 × 10.2 cm (36 3/8 × 32 1/8 × 4 in.)
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Credit Line
- Purchased with funds provided by Mrs. Albert J. Beveridge in memory of her mother, Abby Louise Spencer (Mrs. Augustus Eddy).
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Reference Number
- 1963.205
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IIIF Manifest
- https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/88632/manifest.json
Extended information about this artwork
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