Seaside (July: Specimen of a Portrait)

Jacques Tissot, anglicized as James Tissot, was a French painter and illustrator, and before moving to London in 1871, a successful painter of Paris society. He became famous as a genre painter of fashionably dressed women shown in various scenes of everyday life.

This painting belongs to a series of allegories representing various months of the year. The sitter’s relaxed pose and the distant beach suggest a summer vacation by the sea. Bright sunlight is reflected off the sand and filtered through the awning into the room, where it rebounds from the woman’s ruffled dress onto her face. The model has been identified as Kathleen Newton, Tissot’s British mistress from 1876 until her death in 1882.

So, July has finally started! We present today's work thanks to the Cleveland Museum of Art.

P.S. Welcome to the world of James Tissot's perfect women who in reality were not that perfect. Find out why!

P.P.S. Tissot was a very good friend of Edgar Degas. If you would like to learn more about the Impressionists and their connections to other artists, check out our Mega Impressionist Course!