JEAN-URBAIN GUÉRIN

JEAN-URBAIN GUÉRIN PORTRAIT OF A YOUNG WOMAN, CA. 1795 JEAN-URBAIN GUÉRIN Strasbourg 1761 – 1836 Obernai Watercolor and gouache, metal frame 7.2 × 6.2 cm / 2.83 × 2.44 inches PROVENANCE Private collection, France ABOUT THE ARTIST Jean-Urbain Guérin is considered one of the best French miniaturists of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Born in Strasbourg in 1761, he trained with local masters before moving to Paris, where he came into contact with leading artists of the time, including Jean-Baptiste Regnault and Jean-Baptiste Isabey. His early style was influenced by the neoclassical revival and the rediscovery of Pompeian frescoes, inspirations that led him to create a series of refined portraits of young women, often in profile or three-quarter view, characterized by a delicate, dreamlike softness. Among his early patrons were aristocratic circles close to Queen Marie Antoinette. In 1791 he painted the Duchess of Devonshire and Lady Elisabeth Foster, as reported in his studio diary. A staunch monarchist, he distinguished himself by defending the royal family during the day of June 20, 1792, at the Tuileries, and later joined the army of General Desaix. Returning to Paris in 1798, Guérin vigorously resumed his artistic career, presenting portraits of Generals Kléber and Desaix at the Salons of 1798 and 1799. Throughout his prolific career, Guérin portrayed numerous military figures of the Empire — Bonaparte, Bernadotte, Murat, and others — but he also continued to paint female portraits, adapting his style from Pompeian grace to the expressiveness of early Romanticism. His portraits of women, although uneven in quality, often anticipate the sensibility of the new century. ABOUT THE MINIATURE This delicate portrait of a young woman, created around 1795, exemplifies Guérin's mature neoclassical style before the full advent of Romanticism. The model's long, loose hair and her serene, soft expression still evoke pre-revolutionary grace, while the dress — with a high waist and light fabric — foreshadows the fashion of the Directory. She wears a white robe with finely detailed folds, fastened with a deep blue sash, in keeping with the simplicity inspired by antiquity that characterized the late 18th century. The natural flow of the curls, neither powdered nor adorned, marks a departure from the artifices of the ancien régime, reflecting the new ideals of virtue, sincerity, and feminine charm. THE FASHION OF THE MINIATURE The miniature was not only a prized art form but also a social tool in times of instability and mobility. Small, intimate, and transportable, these portraits preserved affection and memory across great distances and turbulent times. In the 1790s, in an uncertain political context, portraits like this often had a dual function: personal and political — signs of loyalty, love, and identity in a world transformed by the revolution. This example represents an elegant testimony to Guérin's technical mastery and cultural sensitivity, revealing the transition from the elegance of the ancien régime to the introspective refinement of early Romanticism.