Mme L… 1863

"Mme L…" is a realist portrait by Gustave Courbet, painted in 1863. The painting depicts a woman, likely a member of the French upper class, in a dark dress, adorned with lace. She holds a bouquet of flowers, her gaze directed towards the viewer. The backdrop is a dusky, suggestive of a twilight setting. Courbet's focus on realism was evident in his meticulous rendering of the woman's features and the intricate details of her attire. This work is representative of his efforts to capture the everyday lives of ordinary people, challenging the traditional focus on idealized subjects in art.