BETWEEN FRIENDS: REPRESENTATIONS OF FEMALE SOCIABILITY IN FRENCH GENRE PAINTING AND PORTRAITURE, 1770-1830 Molly A. Medakovich A dissertation submitted to the faculty of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Department of Art. Chapel Hill 2012 Approved by: Prof. Mary D. Sheriff Prof. Neil McWilliam Prof. Melissa Hyde Prof. Carol Magee Prof. Daniel Sherman © 2012 Molly A. Medakovich ALL RIGHTS RESERVED ii ABSTRACT MOLLY A. MEDAKOVICH: Between Friends: Representations of Female Sociability in French Genre Painting and Portraiture, 1770-1830 (Under the direction of Dr. Mary D. Sheriff) This dissertation examines spaces of female sociability and their representation in late-eighteenth- and early-nineteenth-century genre paintings and portraiture. I look to paintings that feature female companions engaging with one another in various locales – the exotic colonial island, the convent, the boudoir, the salon, and the artist’s studio – and analyze the ways in which artists represent female friendship in such settings. Despite the historical tradition that negated women’s extra-familial relationships and instead privileged the male enjoyment of the offices of friendship, the companionship, intimacy, and collaboration that unfolds within the canvases suggests a dynamic that deserves more attention than has been heretofore been given. Historical and art historical narratives of this period before, during, and after the French Revolution consistently focus on male artistic and social networks, foregrounding them in a language of brotherhood and public virtue, but sisterhood existed in other significant forms. The images I investigate are drawn from the period 1770-1830, an era of genre painting and portraiture that presents a particularly rich set of scenes featuring female sociability, often in the absence of men. Intimate moments between mothers and maids, friendly strolls in the picturesque garden, scenes of shared confidences, friendship portraits and other physical tokens of affection and memory, and creative companionship all speak to a strong tradition of female collaboration and sociability, often displaying iii friendship as a means for individual development and shared emotion. Alongside treatises on friendship, fictional and real letters exchanged between female friends, and personal memoirs, the paintings that this dissertation addresses both reveal and construct the history of female friendship in early modern France. Ultimately, paintings of female sociability suggest that it allowed women to step beyond the strict identity roles of mother and wife and to develop unique subjectivities and identities. The culture of sensibilité, in part, aided in the development of a language of female friendship and in the flourishing of images of the period that picture the intimate bond. iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I received several opportunities and have many thanks to offer to those who helped make this project possible. The UNC-Chapel Hill Art Department provided me with generous support during my residence as a graduate student and my years of dissertating. The Samuel T. Kress Foundation gave me the opportunity to conduct research in France, as did the UNC Off-Campus Dissertation Fellowship. A summer seminar on sensibilité, funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and organized by Mary Sheriff and Ann Bermingham provided much fodder for my thinking on sensibility and French painting. Joëlle Déjardin at the Musée Fragonard in Grasse aided me during the early stages of my research on Maguerite Gérard. The UNC Art Library, and Rachel Frew in particular, provided invaluable assistance from the first day I entered its doors as a Master’s student. Robert Kintz and Linsday Fulenwider were also of great help and encouragement during my years of graduate study. I first encountered the eighteenth century through the masterful teaching of Christopher Johns, whose scholarship and enthusiasm in the field continue to inspire me. I have always been captivated by the work of Melissa Hyde, whose interest in gender and the eighteenth century was an important foundation of my own scholarly interests. Neil McWilliam provided tremendous time and commitment in the classroom during my graduate coursework; his elegance, kindness, and intellect are unforgettable. Anne Schroder’s encouragement during the early stages of my dissertation was invaluable, and she was always quick to reach out and bring me in to the “eighteenth-century fold” at v conferences. Although we met only once, at a café on a busy corner near the Musée d’Orsay, Susan Taylor-Leduc’s brainstorming session represented a pivotal turn in the evolution and final form of this project. I extend my gratitude to my dissertation committee, whose insightful feedback has given me much food for thought for future development of this project. And last, but certainly not least, it has been pure fortune and pleasure to work with Mary Sheriff. Her mentorship has been critical to my success, her scholarly example unmatched, and her compassion essential as I have made the journey toward this pivotal moment in my career. vi DEDICATION Looking back on the years of my life that preceded this dissertation, it is clear that the topic of friendship and the rich relationships shared between women have been with me all along. My maternal grandmother’s upbeat attitude and tenacity have always been a model of positive living and an example of truly embracing life. My paternal grandmother’s careful planning allowed me to pursue my education without financial constraints, freeing me to follow my dreams as they developed. My mother’s unwavering support has been essential to my personal and academic development, and her pursuit of her own dreams during times of adversity provided me with a strong example of determination and hard work. My sister’s friendship has spanned time and distance, and the differences that once set us apart are now the basis of a close relationship. My “Iowa girls” have inspired me with their own achievements and their lifelong friendship; their visits, phone calls, and ongoing support have enriched my life in immeasurable ways. The many inspirational women that I have encountered in my life have left an impression on me that ignites the pages that follow, and their traces leave an indelible mark on my spirit. Although this dissertation addresses female friendship, the friendship of my husband has been my ultimate refuge during the rigorous and adventurous process of writing this dissertation. He has been an intimate witness, an ardent champion, and a blissful oasis throughout my years as a graduate student. The success of completing this project is equally his. vii TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS ...............................................................................................x INTRODUCTION: FRIENDSHIP AND REPRESENTATION .........................................1 Chapter I. OH FATHER, WHERE ART THOU? MATRIARCHY AND FEMALE FRIENDSHIP IN MARGUERITE GÉRARD’S L’ENFANCE DE PAUL ET VIRGINIE .....................................................................................................................20 Paul et Virginie ............................................................................................................24 Crossing Boundaries: Intimacy, Maternity, and Class .................................................31 “Ain’t I a Woman?”: Slavery and Maternity on L’Île de France ................................45 Intimate Exile and Inseparability .................................................................................63 II. SISTER ACT: TIES OF FEMALE AFFECTION IN THE EIGHTEENTH- CENTURY CONVENT .....................................................................................................70 Convent Sociability ......................................................................................................76 Behind Closed Doors: Narratives of Containment, Resistance, and Desire ................82 “Motion and Emotion”: The Picturesque Convent Garden and Female Sociability .......................................................................................................93 The Path of Friendship ...............................................................................................123 III. A PORTRAIT OF FEMALE FRIENDSHIP: JULIETTE RÉCAMIER AT THE ABBAYE-AUX-BOIS ............................................................................................126 “La Belle Juliette”: Introducing Madame Récamier ..................................................127 Les Merveilleuses: Fashion and Friendship in Directoire Paris ................................132 The Most Famous Bed in Europe ..............................................................................145 viii A Portrait of Friendship .............................................................................................146 Space and Sociability .................................................................................................158 Material Memory and Nostalgic Longing ..................................................................163 IV. SISTER ARTS/SISTERHOODS OF THE ARTS ....................................................170 Allegories of the Arts .................................................................................................172 Painting, Music, and the Accomplishments ...............................................................177 Painting