Portrait of a Young Girl with Wildflowers and a Shawl. French School Late 1820s

Young Girl with Wildflowers and a Cashmere Shawl

Dimensions:
With frame: Width 75 cm x Height 88 cm
Without frame: Width 62 cm x Height 71 cm

Oil on canvas, relined
French School, late 1820s

Frame: Gilded wood and stucco, 19th century, in Charles X style

This portrait, attributed to the French school of the late 1820s, depicts a young woman seated against a dark background, which emphasizes her delicate features and the finely rendered details of the composition. She is dressed in a white gown with a wide neckline and puffed sleeves, typical of the fashion of the era, while a black apron in her hand holds a bouquet of vibrant wildflowers. These flowers symbolize fleeting beauty, a theme central to Romantic sensibilities.

A richly decorated red cashmere shawl is casually draped over her arm or the chair, adding a note of elegance that contrasts with the simplicity of the bouquet. Her face, illuminated by soft light, is imbued with a pensive and slightly melancholic gaze. The interplay of light and shadow enhances the natural softness and grace of her expression.

The painting, relined for stability and well-preserved, is accompanied by a 19th-century gilded wood and stucco frame in the Charles X style. The composition balances simplicity with ornamental richness, offering an excellent example of early 19th-century French portraiture.