Adrienne Marie Louise Grandpierre-Deverzy
We continue our celebrations of Women's History Month today with a painting by the French artist, Adrienne Marie Louise Grandpierre. Grandpierre was a student of the painter Abel de Pujol, who had studied with the famous classicist, Jacques-Louis David. In 1856, she married Pujol. Known for her genre and historical paintings in the Troubadour style, she also taught female students in Pujol's art studio and was considered a committed instructor.
The studio depicted here was exclusively for the use of ladies and young women, as artists of the time strictly avoided mixed-gender settings, providing separate studios or scheduling different days for young women and young men. Drawing from a live model was prohibited in women’s studios for reasons of modesty (notably, the only male sculpture here that is not a bust is discreetly turned toward the wall). On the right, two windows are draped with dark curtains, leaving the overhead skylight as the sole source of illumination. Sketches of Abel de Pujol’s most famous works are displayed on the studio walls, including the study for his grand painting in the church of Saint-Thomas-d'Aquin, Saint Stephen Preaching the Gospel.
P.S. Curious about other artists' works? Check out our bestselling Women Artists 50 Postcards Set and find out what astonishing masterpieces women have created over the centuries!
P.P.S. Here's the story how women had to fight their way in to art academies! Getting artistic training wasn't always accessible to them.