Circle of Théodore Géricault (Rouen 1791 - 1824 Paris)

This painting, previously attributed to Théodore Géricault, is in fact one of three variants of an academy composition painted in the studio of Pierre-Narcisse-Guérin, two of which were almost certainly painted in the same sitting. One of the three, apparently of a different model, was painted by Géricault (C. Clément, Géricault: Étude biographique et critique avec le catalogue raisonné de l'oeuvre du maître, Paris, 1879, pp. 35, 279, no. 9.) and is today in the Musée Bonnat, Bayonne; the other, also previously attributed to Géricault, is in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Historically, this painting and the New York version have been confused with the work in Bayonne. The pose in all three canvases is identical, although in the work by Géricault the model is shown standing in water. The perspective in this version suggests that it was painted by a pupil of Guérin who would have been standing to the right of the artist who painted the work in the Metropolitan Museum during the same studio session.