The Madame B Album c. 1870s

Marie-Blanche Hennelle Fournier made this watercolor drawing, "The Madame B Album" sometime in the 19th century. Fournier, a student of the French painter Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres, pictures what seems to be an elaborate enameled, jewel-encrusted clock affixed to a wall. This album was likely a record of the collection of Madame B, a woman of means, and a member of the burgeoning upper-middle class. The ornate style speaks to the values and tastes of Second Empire France. We can imagine that this clock, with its display of wealth and refinement, would have been intended to impress visitors and assert the owner’s social status. The clock becomes a signifier of Madame B's identity and the values of her social circle. Careful historical investigation is critical for understanding the context in which artworks like this were made and consumed. By consulting period documents like inventories, letters, and social histories, we can start to see the complex relationship between art, identity, and social life in 19th-century France.