The Lady with the Glove

The woman pulling off her glove was a painter herself. Pauline Croizette, born in Saint Petersburg, worked in pastels and miniatures. She had shown at the Paris Salon in 1864 and 1866, and met Carolus-Duran at the Louvre. They married in January 1868. A year later he painted her life-size, standing in black against a plain grey wall, her body turned aside while her face comes round to us. She is drawing a white glove off one hand. Its partner already lies on the floor, just above the red signature and the date. In 1875 the French State bought the canvas from the artist for the Musée du Luxembourg, the Paris museum reserved for living artists. Pauline showed her own work at the Salon that same year.