Madame Recamier drawing

[olde_fashioned]

I spent a few evenings on drawing this, after Gerard's painting Madame Recamier. I sat with a fashion book from the library which had a picture of the painting in it, propping both the book and my sketchbook in my lap as I got cross-eyed drawing all those stinking folds! *lol*

I do think she turned out pretty well, even if I do say so myself. I certainly had a good time sketching her, and as always when I copy a painting, I have a new-found appreciation for all of the incredible detail Gerard put into her. And, I might add, Gerard's portrait was infinitely preferred to David's by both myself and Juliette Recamier herself. ;-)

You can view Gerard's original portrait here, and the full size version of my sketch (not just the header I made out of it) is behind the cut, because it's rather big. ;-) This header I just played with GIMP to color it a little.

Comments

[midenianscholar.livejournal.com]

Oh! That's lovely. The dress and all, in particular, is beautiful. Well done! (and I love the header. :D)

[midenianscholar.livejournal.com]

P.S. I remember we were musing about what "Twelfth Night" means and stuff. Here's a little quote from a king-cake history thing Grandma read me:
"These early Europeans [France, 12 Century] celebrated the coming of the three wise men bearing gifts twelve days after Christmas calling it the feast of Epiphany, Twelfth Night or King's Day.... In Louisiana, Twelfth Night also signifies the beginning of the carnival season, which ends on Mardi Gras Day."

[olde-fashioned.livejournal.com]

Ohhh! :-) Thank you! You have satisfied my curiosity. I am indebted to you, madam. *doffs hat*

[olde-fashioned.livejournal.com]

Thank you! :-D

[misseri44.livejournal.com]

The sketch is really beautiful but i think like more the way you've done the header, with those colors, amazing

[olde-fashioned.livejournal.com]

Thank you! :-) I appreciate your compliments.

[midenianscholar.livejournal.com]

*curtsies* I was as lost as you were until we happened to read the clip.

[olde-fashioned.livejournal.com]

Oh well that makes me feel better. Thanks! ;-)

Is that Maria from the Sound of Music?

[midenianscholar.livejournal.com]

Yes indeed. Can you believe I only saw the movie for the first time last year? :P

[olde-fashioned.livejournal.com]

No! *Fanny Thornton gasp*

I like to tease my brother by calling it a fine war movie. ;-)

[midenianscholar.livejournal.com]

*dies* Can you believe I'm watching it again right now? (I love when she's like, "Th-e d-o-ct-or's c-o-m-ing. *waves fan uselessly at Margaret*")

(OMG PROPOSAL TIME! *stares at screen*)

Erm. Anyway. That's funny. I got teased a lot for not seeing it till then. Do you know that that same actress is in Princess Diaries?

[olde-fashioned.livejournal.com]

Ha! I created a monster!! ;-) But I can believe it, my dear. I do it myself!

Oh I love that scene, and the proposal too. I'm so cruel, lol. But Fanny cracks me up! How about waving her beringed hand at Margaret -- "AHHHHH Miss 'ale!" Or no, at the Exhibition -- "ooooooooo! John is sooch a stick in tha mud!" (haha lame attempts at spelling dialect, lol.)

Yes, I did know that. Julie Andrews. She was Mary Poppins, too you know. ;-)

[midenianscholar.livejournal.com]

Yes, you have! And I'm rereading the book. I've also been recommended to The Italian, by Mrs....Ugh. Can't think of the name. Mrs. R. something. With an O and a L in it. Jane talks about her a lot in NA.

lol. I love Fanny.

Oh, I think I knew that one. It's so weird though. I don't know why.

[olde-fashioned.livejournal.com]

:-D I need to reread it also. It's something that I would like to pick apart and analyze deeply.

Oh! Mrs. Radcliffe! Ann Radcliffe, who also wrote The Mysteries of Udolpho! :-D I need to read that one.

Me too! Comic relief!

[midenianscholar.livejournal.com]

Me too.

Right! Right!

^-^

[olde-fashioned.livejournal.com]

We should do that sometime. And bore everyone else to death with our insightful intuitions!!

:-D

[lostie815.livejournal.com]

*gasp* It's lovely! You're so good at drawing fabrics!

[olde-fashioned.livejournal.com]

Thank you very much!! I shall take that as a true compliment, coming from one who is pretty darn good at drawing fabrics herself!! ;-)

You're way better at GIMPing them than I am. I have another sketch that I tried to color/paint in GIMP and I'm not at all satisfied with it.

[boundandchained.livejournal.com]

Oh, yes, I do love the colored header so! It seems cleaner to me.

[olde-fashioned.livejournal.com]

:-) Thank you for the comment!