The artwork entitled “Lady in Blue” was painted by Jean-Baptiste Camille Corot in 1874. This oil on canvas piece exemplifies the Realism art movement and serves as a portrait genre painting. Measuring 80 by 50.5 centimeters, the artwork is currently housed in the Louvre located in Paris, France.
The subject of the artwork is a woman clothed in a blue dress, which gives the piece its title. Her attire is elegantly draped, with a focus on the detailed folds and subtle shading of the fabric. The blue of her dress starkly contrasts the muted, understated background. She is depicted in a three-quarter view, her body turned away from the observer, yet her face is turned towards us, allowing her indirect gaze to draw the viewers into a moment of contemplation.
Her pose is introspective, with her arm resting on a piece of furniture and her hand gently touching her face. The overall composition is poised and serene. Behind the lady, two framed pieces of art are visible on the wall, adding a sense of depth and context to the scene. The lighting is soft, highlighting the curves of her face, her delicate features, and the textures of her dress, which is rendered with careful brushwork characteristic of Corot’s style.
The subtlety of the palette and the realistic representation of the subject reflect the Realist ethos, conveying a straightforward and truthful depiction of the lady, unadorned by the theatrics often found in Romanticism, which preceded Realism. This piece by Corot captures a moment of everyday beauty with a quiet dignity, characteristic of his portraits, and underscores his contribution to the movement and to portraiture as a whole.