Marie-Gabrielle Capet

September 6, 1761 – November 1, 1818

Active in: France

Biography

Marie-Gabrielle Capet was a portraitist who excelled in oils, watercolors, and miniatures. Born in Lyon in 1761, she attended a regional art school before moving to Paris in 1781. There, she became a student of Adélaïde Labille-Guiard. Capet began to exhibit her work, first at the Exposition de la jeunesse and then at the Salon de la Correspondance. She exhibited at the Salon when it was opened to all artists following the French Revolution. Capet remained close to Labille-Guiard, living with her until her death in 1803. Capet died in Paris in 1818.

Selected Works

A round portrait of a seated, light-skinned woman with red hair that is going white or gray near the roots, and a young child with light skin and dark brown hair standing next to her. The woman wears a lacy cap with a bow, a transluscent white shawl, and a purple or red striped gown, while the child wears a yellow dress with a white collar and sleeves.

Marie-Gabrielle Capet, Portrait of a Lady and Child, ca. 1785. Watercolor and ivory, 7.62 cm. The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art

A light-skinned woman with curly gray hair, a white dress with a draped front and very high collar, and a straw hat with ribbons is shown from the waist up, looking directly out at the viewer from a round portrait.

Marie-Gabrielle Capet, Stéphanie Félicité Ducrest de St-Aubin, countess de Genlis, 1798. Watercolor and gouache on ivory, 7.1 cm. Nationalmuseum Sweden

A light-skinned woman with dark hair is wearing a white dress that is nearly the same color as her skin, and is seated on a chair in a room decorated with tapestries, rugs, and paintings. By her knee, a young child with light skin and curls leans against her knee and looks up at the woman. The woman looks out at the viewer and holds up the index finger of one hand, as if indicating that they should wait.

Marie-Gabrielle Capet, Portrait of Madame Marie-Alexandre Vincent and Her Son André, n.d. Gouache on paper, 45 x 34 cm. Musée Cognacq-Jay

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Selected works

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Student of
Adélaïde Labille-Guiard

Bibliography

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