Lot Essay
Marie-Gabrielle Capet arrived in Paris in 1781 and became the pupil of the portraitist Adélaïde Labille-Guiard, Vincent's mistress. When the new divorce law was passed in 1793 Vincent married Labille-Guiard. Marie-Gabrielle who had previously been living with her moved in with the couple and looked after both of them in their terminal illnesses in 1803 and 1816 respectively.
Vincent executed a number of portrait drawings of Marie-Gabrielle. One executed around 1786 is in the Musée du Petit Palais, Paris, and two others, also dedicated to her are illustrated in J.-P. Cuzin, François-André Vincent, Cahiers du Dessin Français, Paris, n.d., nos. 50 and 56, illustrated.
Labille-Guiard's students were exclusively women and they took turns as models. Vincent, who must have frequented that studio, drew a further portrait of Labille-Guiard as a studio model, formerly with Mark Brady, New York, French Drawings, 1770-1780, 1992, no. 2, illustrated. This drawing, datable to the same period as the present sheet, bears a dedication to Capet and the date 1815, written by Vincent the year before his death when he donated drawings to his students.
Vincent executed a number of portrait drawings of Marie-Gabrielle. One executed around 1786 is in the Musée du Petit Palais, Paris, and two others, also dedicated to her are illustrated in J.-P. Cuzin, François-André Vincent, Cahiers du Dessin Français, Paris, n.d., nos. 50 and 56, illustrated.
Labille-Guiard's students were exclusively women and they took turns as models. Vincent, who must have frequented that studio, drew a further portrait of Labille-Guiard as a studio model, formerly with Mark Brady, New York, French Drawings, 1770-1780, 1992, no. 2, illustrated. This drawing, datable to the same period as the present sheet, bears a dedication to Capet and the date 1815, written by Vincent the year before his death when he donated drawings to his students.