Attributed to Louis-André-Gabriel BOUCHET (Paris, 1759 – 1842) Portrait of a woman holding a letter Oil on canvas Bears an old, erased signature and a date ‘David / 1812’ in the lower left-hand corner Portrait of a woman holding a letter, oil on canvas, attr. to L.-A.-G. Bouchet 28.93 x 23.42 in. 73.5 x 59.5 cm Provenance: Private European collection As the heir to his master Jacques-Louis David, the painter Louis-André-Gabriel Bouchet made grand neoclassical portraiture his speciality during the Empire and the Restoration. His works are recognisable by their close framing of the subject, who occupies the majority of the canvas, in a composition that is both understated and monumental. Whilst Bouchet occasionally includes a landscape in the background of his portraits, he very often places his subjects against a neutral, plain background. This choice reveals his desire to highlight the nobility and psychological depth that emanate from the posture and gaze of his patrons. The artist renders their faces and complexions with a particularly delicate and luminous touch, thus creating a striking contrast with the background. Finally, Bouchet pays close attention to the fabrics of his models’ attire and the materials of the furnishings surrounding them. The characteristics and qualities of our portrait allow it to be linked to the artist’s body of work. A Family Portrait, signed and dated in the same year as our painting and held at the Detroit Institute of Arts (inv. no. 27.246), reveals unmistakable similarities with our portrait (fig. 1). Attributed to Louis-André-Gabriel BOUCHET (Paris, 1759–1842) 73.5 x 59.5 cm