Madame de Pastoret and Her Son

1791–92

The French Revolution probably accounts for this portrait's unfinished state. While David completed the stippled underpainting, he did not create the smooth surface characteristic of his finished paintings. He did not even place a needle and thread in the subject's hand. Objecting to David’s revolutionary ideals, Madame de Pastoret refused the painting but had her adult son purchase the portrait after the artist's death.

Public domain · CC0
Free to download and reuse. Image courtesy of Art Institute of Chicago.

Artist

Jacques-Louis David (French, 1748–1825)

Date

1791–92

Medium

Oil on canvas

Dimensions

129.8 × 96.6 cm (51 1/8 × 38 in.); French: 156.3 × 123.6 cm (61 1/2 × 48 5/8 in.)

Origin

France

Collection

Art Institute of Chicago

Credit

Clyde M. Carr Fund and Major Acquisitions Endowment