Artwork
The Woman Accused of Adultery
The Woman Accused of Adultery is an oil painting by the Neoclassicist artist William Artaud. It dates from 1796 and is held in the collection of the Art Institute of Chicago.
About this work
Overview
William Artaud’s oil painting, The Woman Accused of Adultery, was completed in 1796 and is part of the collection at the Art Institute of Chicago. The work depicts a clothed woman confronting a group of robed men within a dim interior, creating a scene charged with tension and narrative intrigue.
Subject & Meaning
The central figure, a woman in a white robe, gestures toward a man on the right, whose gaze is cast downward. The surrounding men, attired in robes and turbans, appear to be listening or judging, suggesting a moment of accusation or moral judgment, a theme common in late‑eighteenth‑century genre painting.
Technique & Style
Executed in oil on canvas, Artaud employs a limited palette of muted tones to emphasize the chiaroscuro of the interior space. The contrast between the illuminated white garment and the surrounding darkness heightens the emotional intensity and draws focus to the woman’s expressive pose.
History & Provenance
Created in the final decade of the eighteenth century, the painting entered the Art Institute of Chicago’s holdings through acquisition in the early twentieth century. Its provenance prior to museum ownership is not extensively documented, but the work has been noted in catalogues of French academic painting of the period.
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Artist & collection
Artist
William Artaud (1763–1823) was an English painter of portraits and biblical subjects.
