Marie Guilhelmine Benoist 001 - The Yorck Project Masterpieces of Painting

Marie Guillemine Benoist (1768-1826) was a French neoclassical painter who gained recognition for her portraits of wealthy and influential individuals during the Napoleonic era. She was born in Paris and received her artistic education from Jacques-Louis David, one of the leading neoclassical painters of the time. Benoist was known for her ability to capture the elegance and refinement of her subjects, particularly women, in her paintings. Her most famous work is the portrait of a black woman, titled Portrait d'une négresse (Portrait of a Black Woman), which was exhibited at the Salon of 1800 and caused a sensation due to its depiction of a black woman as an equal and dignified subject. Benoist's career was cut short by her marriage to a government official, which required her to give up painting professionally.