Attributed to Francois Dumont (1751-1831) - A young woman with drapery

Attributed to Francois Dumont (1751-1831)

At a very young age, François Dumont went to Nancy to work with Girardet, the first painter of King Stanislas Leczinski, and then to Paris.
He began by decorating mother-of-pearl and ivory buttons, and after having painted the portrait of the Academician Madame Anne Vallayer-Coster in 1769, he was commissioned in 1772
1769, he was commissioned in 1772 to paint on ivory those of the Count and Countess of Provence.
He stayed in Rome in 1784 during which time he painted the miniature of Madame Lagrenée and portraits of his friends Germain Drouais and his mother.
His art is now personal! His art is now personal: sharp drawing, tight strokes, graceful play of light and shadow on hair and flesh as can be found in our drawing in pastel of his brother, he is received shortly after
with a miniature of the painter Pierre.
In 1789 he married the daughter of the painter Antoine Vestier and settled in the Galleries of the Louvre.
Compromised by his portraits of Marie-Antoinette. He was imprisoned in 1792. Returned to the Louvre after the liberation and continued to work for the Bourbons after their return to power in 1814.
Our drawing represents a young woman, almost full-length, dominating a landscape, she occupies the main part of the composition like an emblem.
This original presentation is characteristic of the second half of the 18th century, as is the use of sanguine.
We find in a miniature a woman having an attitude similar to that of our drawing; it is the portrait of "a Strasbourgeoise".
Strasbourgeoise".
The same theology can be observed in various drawings and paintings of women.
To this, we can add that the meticulous technique and realized from small lines is very characteristic of the hand of the miniaturist.

Bibliography:
Exhibition "Masterpieces of Alsatian and Lorraine art", Paris,
museum of Decorative Arts, 1948.
Pierrette Jean-Richard, "Les artistes lorrains dans la collection
of miniatures of the cabinet of the Drawings in the museum
du Louvre".