Baron François Gérard: Portrait of Madame Récamier
This is the second portrait of this lady featured here; the first was by Jacques-Louis David. The current painting was reportedly commissioned by Madame Récamier because of her dissatisfaction with the earlier one. David, upon hearing of the commission of Gérard's painting, said to Madame Récamier, "Women have their whims, and so do artists; allow me to satisfy mine by keeping this portrait." Stylistically the two paintings are quite different. Which do you prefer? I think I am with Madame Récamier in preferring this one, a much more lively depiction than David's.
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