Artwork
Portrait of a Woman
Portrait of a Woman is an unspecified painting by the Neoclassicist artist Jacques Delaplace. It dates from 1805 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
A dark-haired woman with a calm face holds a small branch bearing a single pink flower. Her dress is plain white under a dark shawl, the background bare but for a few green leaves. Soft light warms her skin against the dark frame. Jacques Delaplace signed it in 1805.
Subject & Meaning
The work’s meaning is therefore tied to its function as a portrait of an unnamed woman, reflecting the sitter’s status and the aesthetic ideals of the period.
The painting presents a solitary female sitter, identified as the main subject in the record, and includes a modest floral motif that the catalog notes as part of the depicted scene. As a 1805 portrait by Jacques Delaplace, it exemplifies early‑nineteenth‑century conventions of representing women within domestic and refined contexts. The flower, listed among the depicted elements, may allude to contemporary symbolic associations such as virtue or the fleeting nature of beauty, though the sources do not specify a definitive iconographic program.
The work’s meaning is therefore tied to its function as a portrait of an unnamed woman, reflecting the sitter’s status and the aesthetic ideals of the period.
History & Provenance
The portrait was executed in 1805 by French painter Jacques Delaplace, as recorded in its cataloguing. It is classified as a portrait within the genre of portraiture and depicts a woman with a flower. The work entered the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it has been part of the museum’s holdings since its inception in 1805.
Its current location is the Met’s galleries, and it remains identified as a painting by Delaplace in the institution’s records.
The painting is held by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, where it is recorded as Portrait of a Woman by Jacques Delaplace, dated 1805. The museum’s accession number is 1991.400.8. It has not been identified in any major loan exhibition listings in the provided sources.
Overview
Created by Jacques Delaplace in 1805, Portrait of a Woman is an oil painting that captures an individual in a moment of quiet contemplation. This work, now part of The Metropolitan Museum of Art's collection, presents a close-up view of its subject, emphasizing her serene expression and the delicate bloom she holds. The artist's signature is subtly placed, confirming its origin.
Technique & Style
Delaplace employed soft lighting to illuminate the subject's face, creating a gentle glow against the darker elements of the composition. The background remains largely unadorned, featuring only a few green leaves that hint at an outdoor setting without distracting from the sitter. This deliberate simplicity, combined with a close-up perspective, contributes to the painting's quiet atmosphere, allowing the viewer to focus intimately on the woman's features and the delicate flower.
Artist & collection
