Woman and Little Girl of Constantine with a Gazelle

Executed in oil on canvas, the painting displays Chassériau’s transition from the precise lines of his Neoclassical training to the richer palette and emotive brushwork of Romanticism. The textures of the fabrics and the animal’s fur are rendered with layered, tactile strokes, while the contrast between the dark background and bright clothing heightens visual depth.

Created during Chassériau’s early career, the canvas entered the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, where it remains on view. Its acquisition reflects the museum’s broader commitment to representing 19th‑century French painting and the period’s fascination with Orientalist subjects.

The painting emerged at a time when French artists were increasingly drawn to North‑African locales following France’s colonial expansion. Chassériau, who had studied under Ingres and later absorbed Delacroix’s Romantic influence, used his travels to inform a body of work that blended academic rigor with the vivid color and atmosphere of the Mediterranean world.