Framed Madame Recamier by Jacques-Louis David

Madame Recamier by Jacques-Louis David is a neoclassical portrait of Juliette Recamier, one of Paris’s most celebrated socialites. Posed reclining gracefully on a Directoire-style couch, she is dressed in a simple white empire gown that emphasizes purity and elegance, while her short-cropped hair reflects the classical taste of the era. The sparse background, clean lines, and restrained palette highlight David’s neoclassical style, focusing attention on her serene poise and refined beauty. Left famously unfinished—David never painted her face in full detail—the portrait nonetheless captures both the elegance of its subject and the austere, idealized vision of womanhood that defined the early 19th century.