Lady with Rose Blossom in front of Wooded Landscape

Since Frédéric Dubois had had a studio in Paris at the time when this portrait of a lady with dark curls was created, it seems reasonable to assume that it was painted there.¹ According to the sitter’s wishes he later added the dark wooded landscape from his repertory.² The lady is resting her right arm on the grass-covered earth and holding a wild rose in her left hand. Her curls flow over her forehead and shoulders and are decorated with a ribbon covered in small glittering stones. Her translucent tulle gown and her yearning look illustrate that the miniature was painted as a keepsake for a beloved person.Roses and pansies symbolise love and intimacy. Dubois’ skill becomes obvious in the reproduction of the lady’s expressive face as well as in the exact observation of her hands and the imaginative wooded landscape. Moreover, her posture is harmoniously integrated into the format.
B. P.