Pastel Signed Amélie Fayolle (1826-1880), 19th Century

Portrait of a Young Woman in a Pink Dress, Pastel on Canvas, signed Mme Amélie FAYOLLE. Height: 116 cm, Width: 84 cm, Image size: 84 cm x 66 cm. This delicate pastel by Amélie Fayolle depicts a seated young woman, captured in a pose that is both reserved and elegant, typical of 19th-century bourgeois portraiture. The figure is shown in three-quarter view, her arms delicately crossed, her gaze calm and direct, imbued with a gentle introspection. The composition is distinguished by the finesse of its execution and the subtlety of its color palette. The dress, a luminous powder pink, is rendered with great sensitivity in the depiction of the fabrics: the interplay of transparency in the tulle, the soft folds of the material, and the delicate pink and pearly nuances that lend the whole an impression of lightness and refinement. Small, bluish floral details in the hair provide a delicate contrast and harmoniously balance the color palette. The face, modeled with great softness, reveals a confident mastery of pastels: nuanced skin tones, subtle transitions of light and shadow, and a serene, restrained expression. The deliberately blurred landscape background creates discreet depth without diverting attention from the subject, thus reinforcing the presence and elegance of the portrait. The work is presented in a richly carved and gilded antique oval frame, perfectly in keeping with the style and period suggested by the composition. This frame contributes to the overall elegance and reinforces the decorative and intimate character of the pastel. The signature "Amélie Fayolle," visible on the background, attests to the work's authenticity. With its charm, its delicate execution, and its excellent apparent state of preservation, this pastel is a choice piece for a collection of antique portraits, a classical interior, or a gallery showcasing the art of portraiture and the pastel technique of the 19th century. As part of a joint research project with the curatorial staff of the Varzy Museum (Nièvre), I am working on the biography and artistic career of Amélie Fayolle (1826-1880). A student of Léon Cogniet, she exhibited at the Paris Salon between 1848 and 1870, as well as at various provincial salons, including those in Limoges and Nevers. She was close to Félix-Joseph Barrias (1822-1907), who was her witness at her wedding on April 22, 1873, to Émile Alexandre Ardouin. She bequeathed her studio collection to the Varzy Museum by a deed dated September 15, 1875. Auguste Grasset Museum: Conference on Amélie Fayolle • Amélie Fayolle, a 19th-century female painter, bequeathed her work to the Grasset Museum. The conference was dedicated to her, and thirty-two attendees were interested in her life and work. Stéphanie Rabussier-Ringeval was the first to shed light on this artist born in Paris in 1826. Her first exhibition at the Salon dates from 1848. Subsequently, she was, among other things, commissioned by the Ministry of Fine Arts to create official portraits of Emperor Napoleon III and Empress Engénie. In 1872, she exhibited in Nevers, and Grasset promptly requested a work from her for his museum. After Amélie Fayolle's death in 1880, a large part of her paintings and library were bequeathed to the museum. A major work, Christ in the Garden of Olives, is a large-format canvas displayed in the entrance hall. It was this painting that drew Jean-Michel Roudier's attention. In it, Amélie Fayolle conveys the moral and physical suffering of Jesus and the luminous and soothing appearance of an angel. This work depicts an episode from the Passion of Christ, situated between the Last Supper and the arrest following Judas's betrayal.