18th Century Couple Portraits

Portraits began as an act of commemoration in the Middle Ages, and were also widely used in churches. During the Renaissance and the rise of individuality, portraits of high-ranking individuals, military leaders, beautiful women, and others of high social status began to flourish in Italy. They served as reminders of the power, wealth, and authority of individuals. Double portraits often endeavor to accomplish the additional task of unveiling the complicated relationship between males and females. One specific French artist who explored this concept in the 18th century was Jean Jacques David. In 1788, he painted a double portrait of Antoine-Laurent Lavoisier and his wife, Marie-Anne-Pierrette Paulz. Lavoisier was a wealthy tax farmer and chemist; in addition to the notable achievements of Lavoisier, the powerful presence of Madame Lavoisier cannot be ignored in the portrait. Madame Lavoisier was a pupil of Jean Jacques David, and she put her talents to use by assisting her husband in the laboratory through taking notes and creating scientific sketches. In the portrait, David undertook the task of displaying a relationship between the Lavoisier couple. This gallery explores how David’s portrait of the Lavoisiers is similar to or different from other couple portraits of the 18th century, with specific emphasis on the relationship illustrated between men and women.

Antoine-Laurent Lavoisier (1743-1794) and His Wife (Marie-Anne-Pierrette Paulz, 1758-1836), Jacques Louis David, 1788, Oil on Canvas, The Metropolitan Museum of Art

 

David’s depiction of the Lavoisiers suggests a relationship of intimacy and adoration between the two. Intimacy is depicted through the informality of the pose, as her body drapes over his, eliminating any space between them. Her pose creates emphasis, as she towers over her husband in a flowing white dress. Her soft gaze engages the viewer, while Lavoisier’s averted gaze insists that our attention falls upon her. David’s choice to emphasize Madam Lavoisier perhaps reflected the collaborative work between her and her husband in the laboratory. Historians have wondered whether this portrait was an attempt by David to illustrate the trope “the artist and his muse,” under which it could be argued that Marie Lavoisier served as her husband’s muse through Antoine Lavoisier’s admiring gaze and submissive posture under her stance. 

 

David Garrick and His Wife Eva-Maria Veigel, William Hogarth, c 1757-64, Oil on Canvas,  Royal Collection Trust

 

Rather than illustrating an intimate relationship between husband and wife, William Hogarth’s double portrait appears to convey an artist and his muse. This painting is said to have inspired David’s portrait of the Lavoisiers, as the “artist and muse” trope was very popular during this period. However, it is unclear if the woman is meant to be inspiring Garrick and guiding his quill, or distracting him by attempting to pluck the quill from his hand. Contrasting the Lavoisier portrait, Hogarth does not communicate intimacy between the couple. There is a spatial distance between the two figures, as their bodies are separated by a chair; there is also no emotional intimacy illustrated, as Garrick is gazing into the distance, unaware of his wife sneaking up behind him.

 

Paris and Helen, Jacques Louis David, 1786-87, Oil on Canvas, The Metropolitan Museum of Art

 

This double portrait is quite a stark contrast to the Lavoisier painting. While this portrait was also painted by Jacques Louis David, it conveys a very different image than the Lavoisier painting. The two individuals are scantily clad, and the messy bed behind them adds to the improper scene. However, the connection that ties the two portraits together is the familiar “artist and his muse” trope. The positioning of the couple is similar to the Lavoisier, as the woman leans over the man. The man holds a lyre in his left hand while grasping the woman’s arm with the other hand, staring adoringly at the woman’s face. The woman’s pose and the man’s adoring gaze depict an artist gazing at his muse for musical inspiration.

 

Benjamin and Eleanor Ridgely Laming, Charles Wilson Peale, 1788, Oil on Canvas, National Gallery of Art

 

This portrait illustrates an intimate relationship between Benjamin and Eleanor Laming. The man leans toward her, resting his left elbow next to her hip while gazing at her face. The woman returns the gesture by placing her arm over his. An interesting connection between this portrait and David’s portrait of the Lavoisiers is the emphasis on the woman. Though Eleanor Laming is not as strongly emphasized as Madame Lavoisier, Peale does imply emphasis through line. The man’s body creates a subtle line towards the woman, and his gaze at her face carries the line to her. The stick that he is holding in his left hand also contributes to directing the viewer's gaze toward the woman. While scholars have not recognized a specific meaning behind the emphasis on Eleanor Laming, it is still notable that Peale would choose to emphasize the woman over the man, as David did in the Lavoisier portrait.  

François de Jullienne (1722–1754) and Marie Élisabeth de Jullienne (Marie Élisabeth de Séré de Rieux, 1724–1795), Charles Antoine Coypel, 1743, Pastel, black chalk, watercolor, and traces of black chalk underdrawing on four joined sheets of handmade blue laid paper, mounted on canvas and adhered to a keyed stretcher, The Metropolitan Museum of Art

The portrait of François and Marie Élisabeth de Jullienne is quite different from the Lavoisier portrait in several respects. It conveys a very formal tone, both through the couples attire and through their positions. The man is standing over the woman, who is sitting and holding a spool of thread; both of these observations display a more traditional view of husband and wife, as she is connected to domesticity while he has almost a protective stance over her with his left hand resting on her chair. This contrasts the Lavoisier painting, as David illustrated the academic input that Madame Lavoisier had through her emphasis in the portrait. This portrait subtly hints at intimacy between the couple, as there is no space between their bodies; their soft, round faces and small smiles illustrate comfortability and kindness as they gaze at the viewer, inviting us to look into their lives.

Mr. and Mrs. William Hallett (‘The Morning Walk’), Thomas Gainsborough, 1785, Oil on Canvas, The National Gallery

This double portrait of Mr. and Mrs. William Hallett displays a man and woman on a walk in the woods. Both individuals are dressed in very formal attire, and their stern expressions as they look to the distance emphasize the rigidness and respectability of the couple. However, while the setting is quite formal, Gainsborough does convey a subtle intimacy between the couple, as her arm is wrapped around his. The direction that their faces are turned as they walk in sync unifies the couple, as they appear to be observing the same thing. The unity between the couple is what unites this portrait to the Lavoisier painting.