Two sisters embracing

After the French Revolution, Jacques-Louis David (1748-1825) opened his studio to female students, amongst whom was Jeanne Elisabeth Chaudet. In a society whose conservatism made it difficult for women artists to practice, she shone as a painter of children, rivaling male contemporaries such as Anne-Louis Girodet (1767-1824) and Jean-Baptiste Greuze (1725-1805). Her abilities found her patrons of the highest rank; the Empress Josephine owned two of Chaudet’s paintings. As this double portrait shows, her works are characterized by a lightness of touch and grace in the attitude of her sitters and the folds of her drapery. Here, the billowing yellow scarf frames the intertwined sisters in a pose reminiscent of classical statues, such as those Chaudet would have studied with David.