Gustave Courtois in His Studio
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| Pascal Adolphe Bouveret, Gustave Courtois in His Studio, 1880 |
Gustave Courtois in His Studio by Pascal Adolphe Bouveret features Courtois in his natural habitat. His colorful studio contains palettes, an intricate screen, and a quite eclectic couch. With the vibrant colors and motley assortment of possessions, a dark shape lingers over the dynamic scene. A mysterious woman in black peers knowingly over her shoulder at the reclining artist.
Adding versatility to the piece, Bouveret includes the reflection in the mirror. This reflection contains the opposite of the dark woman on the couch. A woman dressed in white sits, trapped in a frame, trapped in a mirror. She looks down at the other woman. The one in white has an open and inviting face, contrasting the completely veiled face of the lady in black.
To further create contrast, the cream-colored screen on the left opposes the dark brown wood on the right. The beams of light shining through the left-side window play off of the concealed window on the right. Who is this lady in black? Why does she act as a dark cloud overshadowing the rest of the painting? This woman is, in fact, Gustave Courtois's mother. She was unwed and devoted her life to her son. She colored his life just how she colors this piece.
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