Madame de Wailly, née Adélaïde-Flore Belleville (1765–1838)

myminifactory

The wife of Pajou's lifelong friend Charles de Wailly was a sitter. De Wailly, court architect to Louis XVI, had built neighboring houses for himself and Pajou in Rome during their student days. After Pajou executed busts of the architect and his wife, de Wailly built houses next to each other. Madame de Wailly married M. de Fourcroy after her husband's death; he was a medical doctor and chemist. The portrait of Madame de Wailly showcases Pajou's artistic skills perfectly. His work is characterized by solidity, which is enhanced by his signature linearity, resulting in a brilliant eighteenth-century version of a Roman matron's portrait. The sense of dignity that the sculptor conveys does not suppress the spirit of humor and intelligence radiating from Madame de Wailly's fully mature face. Pajou's handling of her torso emphasizes maturity, as evidenced by the clinging cloth partly exposing her chest and ample shoulders. The sinuous, weighty curls framing her face and cascading over her shoulders are insistently sculptural, lending harmony and equilibrium to the work.