Lady at Fountain

This portrait, showing a young lady in a park, is exceptional in various regards. The lady is posing at a fountain, out of which water is rippling down over several basins and splashing her hand. She is standing on a step with one leg bent, revealing her exposed lower leg. The beautiful sitter is only flimsily dressed: she has half taken off her chemise – here more a vest with short sleeves – exposing her breast. The yearning, languorous gaze suits her provocative pose. Without the slightest shame she is looking at the spectator, as if inviting him to dally with her at the fountain.

The portrayal of the hairstyle stands out as an alien element within the depiction. The curls are poorly drawn and do not show the artist’s craftsmanship. Closer inspection confirms that it was changed later. It is easily conceivable that the model considered her hairstyle in the miniature to be outdated and instructed another artist to adapt it to the current style.

This portrait occupies a special position within Dumont’s creative work. Although the artist often painted sensual lady’s portraits, such boldly erotic miniatures are scarce.¹ Quite obviously, the miniature was intended for the lady’s beloved. The sitter remains anonymous, unfortunately. Although Dumont established a list of his portraits painted between 1788 and 1828, this mostly contains just the models’ names and the prices of the works, so a connection between the miniatures and the customers’ list can only be established in exceptional cases.²

B. P.