Portrait de Mme. E. D.
1829
Medium
Black, white, and red chalks, with stumping and erasing on ivory wove paper, perimeter mounted to Japanese paper
Dimensions
24 × 18.8 cm (9 1/2 × 7 7/16 in.)
Classification
prints and drawing
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
191212
Art Historical Context
Created in 1829 by French artist Paul Delaroche, *Portrait de Mme. E. D.* offers an intimate glimpse into early nineteenth-century portraiture. Rendered in black, white, and red chalks on ivory wove paper, the drawing captures its subject with remarkable delicacy and warmth. The small scale—measuring just 24 by 18.8 centimeters—invites close viewing, suggesting the work may have been intended for private appreciation rather than public display. Delaroche employed the classic *trois crayons* technique, combining three colored chalks with stumping and erasing to achieve soft transitions of ligh...