Free Shipping UK, US, Canada, EU & US Tariff-Free Imports

  • Search

    • Hippolyte Coté

    Portrait Of A Woman In A Black Silk Gown

    Hippolyte Coté, Portrait Of A Woman In A Black Silk Gown
    Hippolyte Coté, Portrait Of A Woman In A Black Silk Gown
    Hippolyte Coté, Portrait Of A Woman In A Black Silk Gown
    Hippolyte Coté, Portrait Of A Woman In A Black Silk Gown
    Hippolyte Coté, Portrait Of A Woman In A Black Silk Gown
    Hippolyte Coté, Portrait Of A Woman In A Black Silk Gown
    Hippolyte Coté, Portrait Of A Woman In A Black Silk Gown
    Hippolyte Coté, Portrait Of A Woman In A Black Silk Gown

    Hippolyte Coté

    Portrait Of A Woman In A Black Silk Gown

    This elegant mid-19th-century portrait by French artist Hippolyte Coté (1816-1874), depicts a young Frenchwoman in a black silk gown. Painted in 1859, during the early flourishing of the Second Empire, it was captured at a moment when the world around her was quietly transforming with the rise of the cultivated bourgeoisie. 

    With an expression entirely serene, and her posture impeccably composed, nothing here feels theatrical or over-embellished. Instead, Coté gives us a woman whose dignity lies in her restraint. The black gown, richly worked yet tastefully sober, speaks of refinement without extravagance. Lace sleeves fall gently from the arms, while her patterned bodice hints at the growing fashion sensibilities of the period. Her hairstyle, centre parted and smooth at the crown, is quintessentially late-1850s, shaped by the era’s emphasis on composure.

    There’s a gentle inwardness to her gaze. She looks towards the viewer with a sense of self-awareness - the kind of presence cultivated by well-educated young women whose families had recently found their place under Napoléon III. She embodies the virtues celebrated at the time: propriety, refinement, and sensibility.

    The artist, Hippolyte Côté, was born in Brest in 1816 and trained under the celebrated Paul Delaroche, a highly-regarded master of psychological subtlety. Côté absorbed these academic values and carried them into his own portraiture, producing works marked by precision and calm modelling. Appointed professor of drawing at the Lycée de Brest, he exhibited at the Salon de Paris from 1846, securing his position within the world of serious provincial artists shaped by academic discipline.

    In this portrait, one sees the Delaroche lineage: smooth transitions, fine execution, and the controlled realism typical of the mid-century French school. The oval trompe-l’œil format enhances the intimacy, drawing the viewer into her world.

    Signed on the mid-right and held in a 20th-century frame.

    Learn more about Hippolyte Coté in our directory.

    Medium: Oil on canvas
    Overall size: 31” x 37” / 79cm x 94cm
    Year of creation: 1859
    Provenance: Private collection, France.
    Condition: Cleaned. Revarnished. Canvas relined. Craquelure throughout. The paint layer is stable. Later stretcher. Frame in excellent condition.
    Our reference: BRV2225

    Hippolyte Coté, Portrait Of A Woman In A Black Silk Gown
    Hippolyte Coté, Portrait Of A Woman In A Black Silk Gown
    Hippolyte Coté, Portrait Of A Woman In A Black Silk Gown
    Hippolyte Coté, Portrait Of A Woman In A Black Silk Gown
    Hippolyte Coté, Portrait Of A Woman In A Black Silk Gown
    Hippolyte Coté, Portrait Of A Woman In A Black Silk Gown
    Hippolyte Coté, Portrait Of A Woman In A Black Silk Gown
    Hippolyte Coté, Portrait Of A Woman In A Black Silk Gown

    Conservation & History

    We care profoundly about our role as custodians and every piece in the collection has been assessed by our conservator. When required, we undertake professional restoration carefully using reversible techniques and adopt a light touch to retain the aged charm of each work.

    Availability