Artwork
Madame Lerolle
Madame Lerolle is an unspecified painting by the Impressionist artist Henri Fantin-Latour. It dates from 1882 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.
About this work
This portrait shows a woman in dark clothes sitting by a table with red roses. A vase holds the roses near her right hand. Soft light falls on her face and the flowers.
Fantin-Latour often painted flowers in quiet settings. Here he adds one to a family portrait. The roses stand out against the dark background.
If this style catches your eye, look up Henri Fantin-Latour (French, 1836–1904).
Overview
This portrait by Henri Fantin-Latour depicts Madeleine Escudier Lerolle, wife of artist Henry Lerolle, seated beside a table with a vase of red roses.
Subject & Meaning
The subject, Madeleine Lerolle, is shown in dark attire, with soft light illuminating her face and the flowers nearby, creating a sense of intimacy.
Technique & Style
Fantin-Latour's characteristic restrained palette is enlivened by the vibrant roses, a motif he often used in his still lifes and occasionally incorporated into his portraits.
Context
Fantin-Latour had established a British clientele for his floral still lifes by the time he painted this portrait, and the inclusion of the roses adds a touch of warmth to the otherwise subdued scene.
Artist & collection
Artist
Ignace Henri Jean Theodore Fantin-Latour (French pronunciation: ; 14 January 1836 – 25 August 1904) was a French painter and lithographer best known for his flower paintings and group portraits of Parisian artists and writers.
The Attentive Listener
Portrait of Izabela Tyszkiewicz née Tyszkiewicz (1835–1907)
Miss Grace Woodhouse
Portrait of Anna Branicka
Portrait of Eva Callimachi-Catargi
Portrait of Grand Duchess Maria Fiodorovna
Spring (Portrait of Ilona K. Lippich)
Self-portrait
Portrait of Bice Sullam Pisa
Portrait of Józefina Amszyńska née Guzowska
Matilde Noever de Vogel
Madame Lerolle