Title: Portrait de Femme

Artist: Jean-Baptiste Armand Guillaumin (French, 1841-1927)
Date: 1890
Medium: Pastel on Paper Mounted on Board
Dimensions:

• Sight: 24 × 18 in
• Frame: 38 × 32 in
  Signature: Unsigned (presumed attributed)

Provenance:

• Purchased from Alexander Kahan Fine Arts Ltd.
• Previously in the Carter Sale P.B. (Dec 19, 1961, no. 74) at Hirschl & Adler, New York
• Removed from a 1009 Park Avenue estate

Condition Report:

• Good condition
• Framed under glass for preservation

Description:

"Portrait de Femme" is an exquisite pastel portrait by Jean-Baptiste Armand Guillaumin, a founding figure of the Impressionist movement. Dating to 1890, this artwork presents a bust-length depiction of a woman in semi-profile, her gaze directly engaging the viewer.

She is elegantly dressed in a dark blue dress and a dark brown hat, which contrast harmoniously with the warm, delicate skin tones. The impressionistic brushwork is particularly evident in the background, where a rich interplay of colors—ranging from cool blues to warm ochres—creates a textured, atmospheric effect.

In keeping with Impressionist aesthetics, Guillaumin eschews absolute blacks and whites, instead using raw color variations to define shadows and highlights. This masterful approach infuses the portrait with movement, depth, and a luminous quality, characteristic of the artist’s keen understanding of light and color theory.

About the Artist:

Jean-Baptiste Armand Guillaumin was a French Impressionist painter and lithographer, celebrated for his expressive landscapes and bold color palette. A contemporary of Monet, Pissarro, and Cézanne, he played a vital role in early Impressionist exhibitions and is particularly noted for his experiments with light and atmospheric effects. Though less commercially prominent than some of his peers, Guillaumin’s influence on the movement was significant, and his works are now held in major museum collections worldwide.