Portrait of Madame Charles-Pierre Pecoul

Madame Pecoul was the mother-in-law of David himself, and this 1784 portrait captures her in the years when the artist was ascending to dominance of French painting. The family connection gives the portrait an intimacy rare in David's oeuvre, where public and political subjects usually predominate. David's austere oil technique rejected all Rococo softness in favor of a firm, sculptural handling that emphasized drawing over color—figures modelled like antique reliefs against neutral...

The mature woman is painted with sympathetic attention to her dignified bearing. David's palette is warmer than in his male portraits, with rosy flesh tones and soft shadows that convey both affection and respect for his sitter.