Portrait de jeune femme (présumée Mme Edouard Delalain)

Before Corot obtained permission from his parents to devote himself to art, he first worked for the textile merchant Edouard Delalain. He executed a portrait of his former employer and his wife around 1845-50 (see A. Robaut, L'oeuvre de Corot, vol II, nos. 594 and 595) and the present work is assumed by Martin Dieterle to be another portrait of the latter.

This painting was authenticated by Martin Dieterle in a certificate dated 6 May 2002, and will be included in his forthcoming sixth supplement to the Corot catalogue raisonné currently in preparation.