This mid-19th-century oil painting attributed to French artist Alphonse Muraton (1824-1911) depicts a lady wearing a black dress with lace embellishments. She wears her hair in a centre parting as per the fashion of the day. Muraton was a distinguished painter of religious scenes, portraits and genre.

Muraton’s fine painting style represents a period in French art, which is a direct legacy of the esteemed neoclassical painter, Jacques-Louis David (1748-1825). David was arguably the greatest French painter of his generation and contributed towards a shift in thinking towards reason and classical refinement. Working during a period of severe unrest, he witnessed the first of three revolutions first-hand and the fall of the French establishment. Prior to David’s influence, the arts in France were shackled to the frivolities of the Rococo period, abundant with decadent ladies and opulent extravagances. But following the beheading of both Louis XVI and the fashion-obsessed Marie Antoinette, sobriety quickly replaced debauchery.

Influenced by the mathematical precision of the classical world, French painters often sought inspiration in Italy for its grand architecture, sculpture and Renaissance masterpieces. Poussin, Caravaggio, and Raphael were highly lauded and became the source of innumerable studies. As such, back in France, the teaching methods were adapted with a clear emphasis on examining the models of antiquity. Students were urged to hone their techniques with the ambition to produce a superior generation. David became a teacher of distinction with many of his pupils becoming masters of note. These included Michel Martin Drolling (1786-1851), a painter of history and portraits who, in turn, trained a young and impressionable Alphonse Muraton.

Here, in this portrait from 1850, the precise brushwork, gentle chiaroscuro, and glowing skin tones are directly related to the Italian masters. At just 26, Muraton had developed an advanced understanding of light effects and the nuances of the human form. Note the cheeks with their subtle variations.

With such a cultured approach, Muraton was celebrated by the selection committee of the Paris Salon, where he exhibited extensively. He won a medal in 1868, for his ‘The Two Hermits’, which was purchased by Napoleon III and sent to the Louvre before being returned to Empress Eugenie.

Across the span of his career, Muraton continued to produce works of the highest order and can be considered an important contributor to the French academic tradition. He’s represented in numerous public collections including museums at Alencon, Amboise, Angers, Aranjuex (Palais Royal), Avignon, Baltimore, Moulins, Rheims, Seville, St-Brieuc, Tours, and Versailles.

Signed/dated lower left and held within a gilt frame.

Learn more about Alphonse Muraton in our directory.

Medium: Oil on canvas
Overall size: 28” x 34” / 73cm x 88cm
Year of creation: 1850
Provenance: Private collection, UK.
Condition: Assessed and approved by our conservator. Cleaned. Canvas relined. Fine and settled craquelure, as you would expect. The paint layer is stable. Frame restored.
Artist’s auction maximum: £5,515 for ‘The Brothers (1901)’, Pastel on canvas, Christie’s, 1991 (lot 7).
Our reference: BRV1848