Marie Anne Toudouze

MARIE ANNE TOUDOUZE (XIX-XX century).
"Portrait of young woman with white bonnet".
Oil on canvas.
Signed in the upper left corner.
It presents some losses in the painting.
Measurements: 46 x 38 cm; 75 x 68,5 cm (with frame).

The soft and milky skin of our model, barely enhanced by the light red of her lips, reminds us of the idyllic portraits of Jean Honoré Fragonard. The subtle veil of her dress and the more pronounced touches of lace recall the portraits of the Impressionists and Berthe Morisot.

Marie-Anne was the pupil and later wife of Édouard Toudouze (1848-1907), an artist from a family of architects, writers, painters and illustrators. The artist exhibited her work at the Salon des Artistes Françaises. She received several awards for her paintings: both honorable mentions in 1901 and third class medals in 1904. According to some sources, she was described as a painter of flowers and still lifes, but the few paintings we know of represent portraits of young women alone, sitting at their dressing table or in their gardens. Her paintings are delicate, with a fine technique and great luminosity.