Virginie Breton - Portrait Of A Young Girl - Charcoal Drawing - 1873

Virginie Breton was only 14 years old when she signed this drawing (!!) And already all the elements that will make her art successful are present. His already sure line and his infallible technique allow him to draw this portrait with a precision dear to naturalists. But the precocious teenager in the footsteps of her father does not stop at a simple description. The work of this seamstress is only a pretext. This woman at work, conscientious and diligent, with a serious face, is immersed in deep reflection, encouraging the viewer to do the same. Virginie Breton has never stopped defending the women's cause. Married to Adrien Demont, with whom she built the famous Wissan typhonium, she became President of the Union of Women Painters and Sculptors. Our artist wants to defend the woman, by representing her not as a character of History or an attractive beauty, but as what she is: an essential link in a society to which she brings the fruits of her work, her thought, and his art. Our drawing is not preparatory to a canvas but rather seems to be an exercise in style that combines study on the spot and classical reminiscences. If a certain melancholy emerges, a form of resignation, the strength of the line also induces the courage and the inner struggle of a woman confronted with the hardships of life. It is all these contradictory emotions that seize the model as well as the attentive spectator.