Portrait of Madame Raymond de Verninac - Jacques-Louis David

This portrait by Jacques-Louis David depicts Madame Raymond de Verninac in a Neoclassical style. Painted in 1799, the work is characterised by its restrained elegance and classical simplicity.

Jacques-Louis David's 1799 portrait depicts Madame Raymond de Verninac, sister of the painter Eugène Delacroix. Verninac is shown seated in a klismos chair, a style popularised during the Neoclassical period, dressed in a simple white dress and a golden shawl, reflecting the fashion of the French Directory. The portrait is characterised by its restrained elegance and classical simplicity, typical of David's Neoclassical style. The background is a plain, dark tone, which serves to focus attention on the sitter's face and figure. David's meticulous attention to detail is evident in the rendering of Verninac's features, her delicate complexion, and the soft folds of her drapery. The painting captures a sense of serenity and refined beauty, embodying the ideals of the Neoclassical era, which sought to emulate the art and culture of ancient Greece and Rome. The portrait is now part of the collection of the Musée du Louvre, Paris.