Louise Becq de Fouquières painting a portrait at an easel

Louise (1825-1892) was the sister of the painter Alfred Dedreux (see preceding lot) and married Aimé-Napoléon Becq de Fouquières, the husband of her deceased sister. She was a pupil of Isidore Pils, and exhibited pastel portraits and landscapes at the Salon from 1857 to 1880. She was close to Georges-Hippolyte Gericault, the natural son of Gericault, whom she nicknamed Théodore in her letters (see for example G. Bazin, Gericault, Paris, 1987, I, p. 125; cf. fig. 74 for a photograph of Louise). She was also the niece of Dedreux-Dorcy, Gericault's closest friend.
We are grateful for Bruno Chenique for identifying the sitter of the present drawing and for his help in cataloguing it.