Thomas Couture (French, 1815–1879), Two Sisters
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Oil on canvas
43 by 32⅛ in.
109.2 by 81.6 cm
This was a study for "The Promises" in Couture's planned "The Enrollment of the Volunteers of 1792." It is thought that the models were his daughters. Couture's sketch for the whole painting is reproduced on the Art Renewal website. The sisters are in the center of the painting—somewhat lost, it seems to me:
https://www.artrenewal.org/artworks/the-enrollment-of-the-volunteers-of-1792/thomas-couture/4652)
From Sotheby's excellent lot essay (see link below):
"In the months following the commission, however, the political landscape of France shifted quickly and dramatically. With Louis Napoleon’s election to the presidency in December 1848, and the coup d’état in which he declared himself Emperor and transformed the Second Republic into the Second Empire in 1852, the aspirations of the revolutionaries were shattered. As a consequence, the significance of Couture’s "The Enrollment of the Volunteers of 1792" was lost, and the final painting was completely reworked with broad passages left unfinished. Most notably, and perhaps nihilistically, the figures of "Victory" and "The Promises" remain completely omitted."
The final painting can be seen at the Musée de l'Oise:
https://mudo.oise.fr/en/the-collections/details-en/thomas-couture-lenrolement-des-volontaires-de-1792/
43 by 32⅛ in.
109.2 by 81.6 cm
This was a study for "The Promises" in Couture's planned "The Enrollment of the Volunteers of 1792." It is thought that the models were his daughters. Couture's sketch for the whole painting is reproduced on the Art Renewal website. The sisters are in the center of the painting—somewhat lost, it seems to me:
https://www.artrenewal.org/artworks/the-enrollment-of-the-volunteers-of-1792/thomas-couture/4652)
From Sotheby's excellent lot essay (see link below):
"In the months following the commission, however, the political landscape of France shifted quickly and dramatically. With Louis Napoleon’s election to the presidency in December 1848, and the coup d’état in which he declared himself Emperor and transformed the Second Republic into the Second Empire in 1852, the aspirations of the revolutionaries were shattered. As a consequence, the significance of Couture’s "The Enrollment of the Volunteers of 1792" was lost, and the final painting was completely reworked with broad passages left unfinished. Most notably, and perhaps nihilistically, the figures of "Victory" and "The Promises" remain completely omitted."
The final painting can be seen at the Musée de l'Oise:
https://mudo.oise.fr/en/the-collections/details-en/thomas-couture-lenrolement-des-volontaires-de-1792/
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