This fine mid-19th-century oil painting by Belgian artist Adèle Kindt (1804-1884) depicts a lady wearing a beautiful white off-the-shoulder dress with an attached posy of pink roses and forget-me-nots.
Kindt was a distinguished painter of portraits, history subjects and genre. A precocious talent, from an early age she was destined to become one of the leading female artists of her generation. She trained under the great neoclassical master Jacques-Louis David (1748-1825), and subsequently two of his finest students, Sophie Frémiet Rude (1799-1867) and the history painter, François-Joseph Navez (1787-1869). Her precision owes much to the latter.
It’s intriguing to consider how she operated in the male-dominated world of history painting as it wouldn’t have been the easiest environment. It’s telling that, by 22, she’d already won first prize at the Royal Academy in Ghent. And by 32, she’d amassed a cabinet of medals, including those from Douai, Cambrai, Ghent, and Brussels. Three academies elected her a member.
A versatile painter, her subjects varied from those enhanced with rich dramatic narratives, such as ‘The Revolution of 1830’, through to quieter, Raphael-esque, depictions of demure siblings. While her portraits were rendered with the same level of care - exquisite details amplified via gentle chiaroscuro.
Here, in this exquisite piece from 1854, the demure characteristics of this beautiful young lady are described with sensitivity. Note the eyes, rouging on the cheeks, and carefully arranged centre-parting. The flowers are an interesting inclusion and probably carry symbolic overtones as per the rules of ‘floriography’, a popular topic of conversation. Several books were written on the subject with the significance of every bloom meticulously described. Ladies were keen to demonstrate their understanding by carefully curating their posies. Pink roses were generally used to convey happiness and gratitude. While forget-me-nots allude to fidelity and being faithful to the one you love.
Kindt is represented in numerous public collections including the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, the Royal Museum of Fine Arts in Belgium, and the Museum of Fine Arts Boston.
Signed/dated on the right and held within its original gilt frame with splendid ornate floral ornamentation. It would appear that the frame features a custom design specifically for the piece as it echoes the flora present.
Learn more about Adèle Kindt in our directory.
Medium: Oil on canvas
Overall size: 32” x 36½” / 81cm x 93cm
Year of creation: 1854
Provenance: Private collection, Belgium.
Condition: Assessed and approved by our conservator. Cleaned. Revarnished. Fine and settled craquelure, as you would expect. The paint layer is stable. One old patch. Frame restored. Superficial cracks to the frame.
Artist’s auction maximum: £12,000 for ‘Portrait of a Lady Sitting in a Landscape’, Oil on canvas, Sotheby's, 1987 (Lot 152).
Our reference: BRV1714
