Matilda Stoughton de Jaudenes
Original title: Matilda Stoughton de Jaudenes
kurzbeschreibung
Matilda Stoughton de Jaudenes, the daughter of a Spanish diplomat, sat for Gilbert Stuart in 1794. He painted her in a white dress threaded with gold floral patterns. The work is in oil on canvas and measures 128.6 by 100.3 cm, and it stands as a characteristic example of American portraiture from the late eighteenth century.
Description
The young woman sits squarely in the foreground, facing the viewer directly. Her white dress, patterned with gold flowers, dominates the picture, and a striking headdress of feathers and gold ornament crowns her. A book rests between her hands, and to one side in the dark ground a fragment of a coat of arms can be made out. Light falling from the side picks out the contours and the texture of the fabrics, while the dark backdrop makes the figure stand out clearly.
Context
Stuart was working in New York in 1794 when he painted Matilda Stoughton de Jaudenes. Her father was a Spanish diplomat, which accounts for the sumptuous dress and the coat of arms behind her. In those years Stuart ranked among the most sought-after portraitists of the young American republic.
Impact
The sitter comes across as calm and dignified, a quality owing much to the symmetrical arrangement and the side lighting. The pale dress contrasts sharply with the dark background, producing a ceremonial mood that underscores her social standing.
Technique
Stuart worked in oil on canvas. For the meticulous rendering of the dress and the jewelry he used fine brushstrokes. Glazing layers and precise control of light follow the usual painting practice of the eighteenth century.
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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)