Who painted The Honest Model?

The Honest Model was painted by Pierre-Antoine Baudouin in 1769.

Where can I see The Honest Model?

The Honest Model is held by National Gallery of Art.

What movement is The Honest Model?

The Honest Model is associated with Rococo painting.

Can I buy a print of The Honest Model?

Museum-quality prints of The Honest Model are available made-to-order from Artifact World Gallery.

Artwork

The Honest Model

Pierre-Antoine Baudouin , 1769

The Honest Model is a gouache painting by the Rococo painting artist Pierre-Antoine Baudouin. It dates from 1769 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.

About this work

The Honest Model is a genre painting. It was created by Pierre-Antoine Baudouin in 1769.

The painting is held in the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C. It was gifted to the gallery in 1983. This suggests that the painting has been appreciated for its value.

You can learn more about the artist who made this painting, the artist: Pierre-Antoine Baudouin.

Overview

Created in 1769, The Honest Model is a small‑scale genre work executed in gouache by French painter Pierre‑Antoine Baudouin. The composition depicts a domestic scene typical of mid‑eighteenth‑century French art, focusing on everyday life rather than historical or mythological subjects. The painting measures modest dimensions and reflects the artist’s interest in intimate, observational subjects.

Technique & Style

Baudouin employed gouache, a water‑based medium that yields opaque, matte colors, allowing for fine detail and subtle tonal variation. The brushwork is precise, rendering textures such as fabric and skin with a smooth finish. The palette is restrained, favoring muted earth tones that enhance the naturalistic atmosphere of the interior setting.

History & Provenance

The Honest Model entered the collection of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., as a gift in 1983. The donation indicates the work’s recognized importance within the museum’s holdings of French 18th‑century painting. Since its accession, the piece has been displayed as part of the gallery’s representation of genre painting from the period.

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Artist & collection

Artist

Pierre-Antoine Baudouin

Pierre-Antoine Baudouin (French pronunciation: ; 17 October 1723 – 15 December 1769) was a French painter. He worked in the same Rococo style of his father-in-law, François Boucher.