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Portrait of a woman artist, seated by Raphael's 'Madonna della Sedia'

Maker

(artist)
1770-1828

Title

Date of Production

(circa) 1813

Medium

black chalk on paper, with black ink framing lines, laid down on a historic support (examined under microscope)

Dimensions

Height: 30.7 cm
Width: 19.9 cm

Accession Number

D.1952.RW.4507

Mode of Acquisition

Robert Clermont Witt, bequest, 1952

Credit

The Courtauld, London (Samuel Courtauld Trust)

Copyright

Work in the public domain

Location

Not currently on display

Keywords

Label Text

Although the sitter’s identity has not been ascertained, her surroundings indicate that she is an artist; at her side are a pencil holder and an easel on which rests an outline copy after one of Raphael’s famous devotional paintings, known as the Madonna della Sedia. Lafitte presents the sitter with an expression of calm and ease, surrounded by symbols of art (the painting and the sculpture) and nature (the vase of flowers), drawing parallels between the purity of Raphael’s line and the sitter’s, and by extension his own.

Provenance

R.G. Waldron; purchased from him by Colnaghi (London), 30 April 1951 (along with D.1952.RW.4506 and 4549); purchased there by Sir Robert Witt, London (1872-1952), 5 May 1951 (£12); Witt Bequest 1952

Exhibition History

Special Display - French Portraits, The Courtauld Gallery, London, 14/06/2013-02/09/2013

About Time, The Courtauld Gallery, London, 24/02/2000-30/05/2000

French Drawings: XVI-XIX Centuries, The Courtauld Gallery, London, 04/07/1991-06/10/1991 ...More

Neo-Classical Drawings, The Courtauld Gallery, London, November 1972-December 1972

A selection of drawings from the Witt collection: French drawings c. 1600-c. 1800, The Courtauld Gallery, London, 1962

French Master Drawings, Glynn Vivian Art Gallery, Swansea, 1962 ...Less

Literature

French Drawings: XVI-XIX Centuries, Courtauld Gallery, London, 1991
no. 30, p. 70
ill. on p. 71

A life more tranquil: images of nineteenth century France. Drawings by Louis Lafitte (1770-1828), Daniel Katz Ltd., London, 1998
Introduction

Inscriptions

Watermark: Watermark: centre: circle with a border, containing a cursive letter "B" (not found in Heawood or Piccard, see diagram in in file). Support (historic), Verso: lower centre: circle with a border, unable to see what it contains due to thickness but may be same as on the drawing.

Inscription: Recto: within the drawing, black chalk, name of the subject?, left centre edge under bust and lower left on base of fireplace: “ANTONIA” and “LAFITTE”; lower right corner, erased but probably “LAFITTE”. Support (historic), Recto: lower right edge, graphite, Colnaghi number: “A18173”. Support (historic), Verso: lower right, graphite: “2149”; lower left, graphite: “2”.

Collector's mark: Support (historic), Verso: lower left corner, stamped in black ink: Sir Robert Witt (L.2228b).

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