Artwork
Young Woman at a Fountain
Young Woman at a Fountain is an oil painting by François Fleury-Richard. It dates from 1824 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts of Lyon.
About this work
Overview
Fleury François Richard’s 1824 oil canvas, Young Woman at a Fountain, portrays a solitary figure in a tranquil garden setting. The composition centers on a young woman in a red dress with white sleeves, barefoot, standing beneath a trellised arch. A straw hat and pitcher lie nearby, while an ancient Roman sarcophagus, repurposed as a fountain basin, anchors the background.
Subject & Meaning
The work captures a moment of quiet domesticity, suggesting themes of purity and renewal. The woman’s poised stance and the act of drawing water from a historically layered basin evoke a connection between everyday life and the passage of time, hinting at the continuity of ritual across centuries.
Technique & Style
Richard employs a restrained palette of greens, browns, and reds, using chiaroscuro to model forms and create atmospheric depth. The brushwork is smooth, rendering the fabric and foliage with subtle gradations, while the interplay of light and shadow across the stone and foliage enhances the scene’s calm ambience.
History & Provenance
Created after Richard’s studies of the monuments on Île Barbe, the painting entered the collection of the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Lyon, where it remains on display. Its provenance traces directly to the artist’s interest in the island’s medieval and Roman remnants, which informed the composition’s setting.
Context
The early nineteenth‑century French Romantic interest in medieval architecture and antiquity informs the work’s setting. By integrating a Roman sarcophagus reused in the abbey’s construction, Richard reflects contemporary fascination with historic reuse and the picturesque qualities of ruined landscapes.
Artist & collection
Artist
Fleury François Richard (25 February 1777, Lyon – 14 March 1852, Écully), sometimes called Fleury-Richard, was a French painter of the Lyon School.
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