Portrait of Madeleine
Marie-Guillemine Benoist · 1800
Why it's great
A woman wearing a white dress and a white headwrap sits, looking over her shoulder, with her bare shoulder, in a calm and dignified pose. Marie-Guillemine Benoist painted her in 1800, soon after slavery was ended in the French colonies. It's one of the first great portraits of a Black woman by a European painter. It was painted by a woman artist at a time when it was hard for women to be artists.
Where to see it
📍 Louvre MuseumParis, France
Open in Maps ↗ About this museum →Hang it on your wall
Three places to look for a print of this painting, from budget to museum-grade:
These links open search results on each shop's own website; we don't sell anything or earn a commission, and print quality varies by seller. Ask a grown-up before you buy anything.
Marie-Guillemine Benoist was born in Paris and studied with Vigée Le Brun and Jacques-Louis David. She was one of the leading women painters of her time and exhibited at the Paris Salon. Her 'Portrait of Madeleine' is one of the most celebrated works of the French Revolution era. She died in Paris in 1826.
