Henri René Gaume

HENRI RENE GAUME (France, 1834-?)
"Femme au mirroir "1868.
Oil on mahogany panel.
Signed and dated in the lower margin.
Measurements: 41 x 32 cm; 64 x 55 x 9 cm (frame).

This work is a representative example of French genre painting of the mid-nineteenth century. Gaume, disciple of Jean-Léon Gérôme and regular of the Paris Salon, stood out for his capacity to capture the elegance and the intimate atmosphere of the bourgeoisie during the Second Empire.

The scene presents a domestic moment of toilette, treated with compositional sobriety and technical refinement. The use of the mirror introduces a perspectival game that enriches the narrative and deepens the psychological dimension of the character. Painted on mahogany board -a noble and stable support- the work reveals a meticulous brushstroke and a special care in the representation of textures, especially in the fabrics and details of the interior.

The result is a delicate and restrained image, where intimacy, academic precision and bourgeois sensibility are balanced with remarkable elegance.