Cartão Portrait of a Young Woman by Pierre Auguste Cot

Portrait of a Young Woman by Pierre Auguste Cot, oil on canvas 1869, is a classical French Academic painting of a young girl wrapped in delicate drapery, gesturing with finger pointed to chin. Her long, flowing hair and soft smile make for a coy, sentimental image that was popular among the art public of the 19th century. Cot’s smooth modeling of form and blended paint film creates an image of optical realism that borders on photorealistic in areas such as the drapery and vivid blue background.