Portrait of Céleste Meuricoffre, née Coltellini

This 1795 portrait of Céleste Meuricoffre at the Speed Art Museum depicts a member of the Italian-French commercial families Gros encountered during his Italian sojourn. Painted in Genoa or Naples, the portrait demonstrates Gros’s facility with female portraiture during the formative Italian years that preceded his Napoleonic career. Characteristic of the artist's mature approach, the work displays monumental scale, vivid reportorial color, Romantic energy in figure groups, combining David's Neoclassical training with the excitement of actual military events.

The female portrait shows Gros’s sensitive handling of women’s features and costume. Warm coloring and soft modeling create an attractive image that balances elegance with the natural directness of his Italian-period work.