• Théo Van Rysselberghe
• French, 1876-1958
• "Portrait de Mademoiselle Couvreur, 1907"
• Oil on Canvas
• 9 5/8 x 7 7/8 inches, Framed: 17 ¾ x 16 inches
• Signed upper left, 1907
• Price on Request

Mademoiselle Couvreur was a famous theater actress in France during Rysselberghe’s time. She is credited with revolutionizing the approach to presenting lines from a chanting style to a more natural manner of delivery. This is an intimate and marvelous portrait of the actress which belies a respect for her beauty and talent as a performer. It is deftly executed with unlabored strokes and moody but rich color. In the catalogue raisonne there is also a sketch of the actress done in profile. Here he has done the portrait full on but her gaze is averted and conveys a sense of detachment from the artist, as though her thoughts are elsewhere. Van Rysselberghe may have favored this approach as a metaphor for her ability as an actress to embody other characters.