Louis Anquetin - Portrait of a Woman, possibly Marguerite Dufay 1891

At the Bar 1891 Femme a la Voilette 1891 In the Street 1891 Portrait of a Woman, possibly Marguerite Dufay 1891 Reclining Woman 1891 Woman with Umbrella 1891 A Nude on Sofa 1892
Portrait of a Woman, possibly Marguerite Dufay 1891

Portrait of a Woman, possibly Marguerite Dufay 1891
63x51cm pastel on paper
Norton Simon Museum, Pasadena

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From Norton Simon Museum, Pasadena:
During the final decade of the nineteenth century, caricature piqued the interest of Louis Anquetin and he began to explore the expressive possibilities inherent to this popular form of image making. This portrait is a superb example of Anquetin’s new pursuits; in it the artist has amplified the sitter’s breasts and shrunk her waist beyond any measure of realistic anatomical proportion. The result is a bawdy sexuality, an exaggeration often associated with the woman thought to be the sitter, the cabaret performer and trombone player Marguerite Dufay. Indeed, she bears a striking resemblance to Dufay, who was depicted by Anquetin for a poster a few years after this portrait was completed.