Artwork
Mme L... (Laure Borreau)
Mme L... (Laure Borreau) is an oil painting by the Realist artist Gustave Courbet. It dates from 1863 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.
About this work
Technique & Style
The work employs oil paint as its medium, applied to a woven canvas support typical of mid‑nineteenth‑century French academic practice.
Mme L... (Laure Borreau) is an oil painting executed on canvas, dated 1863. The work employs oil paint as its medium, applied to a woven canvas support typical of mid‑nineteenth‑century French academic practice.
It measures approximately 81 cm in height and 61.2 cm in width. The painting is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art. No further details about the artist’s handling, surface condition, or specific stylistic traits are provided in the available sources.
History & Provenance
Gustave Courbet painted Mme L... (Laure Borreau) in France in 1863 as an oil on canvas work measuring 81.0 cm by 61.2 cm. The painting entered the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art, where it remains on view within the European paintings galleries. It was first exhibited at the Salon des Refusés and later featured in the 1863–1874 Paris exhibition Revolution in der Kunst, documenting its contemporary reception and display history.
Held by the Cleveland Museum of Art with accession number 1962.2. The work was first exhibited in Paris between 1863 and 1874 as part of the Revolution in der Kunst exhibition. It was created in France in 1863 using oil paint on canvas, measuring 81.0 cm in height and 61.2 cm in width.
Context
The painting exemplifies Courbet's commitment to Realist principles, depicting a contemporary bourgeois woman in an unidealized domestic setting that challenged academic conventions of the 1860s. Its exhibition at the Salon des Refusés and later inclusion in the Paris 1863–1874 Revolution in der Kunst exhibition underscored its controversial reception, reflecting broader tensions between emerging Realist aesthetics and established artistic institutions. The work's provenance at the Cleveland Museum of Art, established through its acquisition and display within this historical context, highlights its significance as a tangible example of Courbet's radical departure from Romanticism, situating it within the larger narrative of 19th-century European art's shift toward social realism and material authenticity.
Overview
Gustave Courbet’s portrait Mme L... (Laure Borreau) was executed in 1863 using oil on canvas. The work exemplifies Courbet’s commitment to Realist principles, presenting the sitter without idealisation and with a directness that contrasts with the Romantic and academic styles dominant earlier in the century. It is part of the permanent collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.
Subject & Meaning
The canvas depicts a woman with dark hair, shaded by a wide‑brimmed black hat, dressed in a somber gown with a patterned collar. She holds a small bouquet, her gaze directed outward, suggesting a quiet confidence. The subdued palette and intimate pose convey a sense of personal presence rather than allegorical narrative, aligning with Courbet’s aim to portray individuals as they appear in everyday life.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Jean Désiré Gustave Courbet (UK: KOOR-bay; US: koor-BAY; French:; 10 June 1819 – 31 December 1877) was a French painter who led the Realism movement in 19th-century French painting.
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