Marguerite Gérard: 1761-1837

Abstract

"One of the most accomplished and interesting artists of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, Marguerite Gérard has been unjustly neglected by art historians, who have tended to view her merely as the sister-in-law and pupil of the more illustrious Fragonard. This monograph traces the exceptional life of an independent woman who forged an outstanding career for herself. Choosing to follow a professional path that was resolutely opposed to those of her predecessors Élisabeth Vigée-Le Brun and Adélaïde Labille-Guiard, both Academicians, Gérard displayed a unique awareness of the potential offered by intimist portraits and scenes from daily life for engagement in public debate. The commitment to female emancipation that is evident in her work makes her one of the most astute contemporary guides to the radical changes in French political, social and cultural life and attitudes from the end of Louis XVI's reign to the July Monarchy. The first work to be dedicated exclusively to Marguerite Gérard, this volume presents a complete catalogue raisonné of her paintings, supported by numerous hitherto unpublished documentary sources, and introduced by a penetrating and detailed analysis of the development of her remarkable career."

Contents

Preface / Melissa Hyde -- Determined to make her own good fortune -- Fragonard's "interesting student" -- Subjects in tune with the culture of the 1780s -- Portraitist, patriot, and provençale -- "Love, friendship, nature, all are there" -- Liberty and the women of France -- Nostalgia for paradise lost -- The only female artist never to exhibit a self-portrait -- Catalogue raisonné -- Appendices -- Chronology and principal events in the life of Marguerite Gérard -- Sources and bibliography -- Index.