In 1791, Marie Guillemin Benoist became the first woman to exhibit a historical painting at the prestigious Paris Salon with The soul bids farewell to her family, A masterpiece of the genre that has lingered for centuries after its creation – until now.
The Museums of Fine Arts in San Francisco have announced their acquisition of Benoist’s work, making it only one of three paintings by the artist currently in US collections. It will be shown for the first time since the 1791 Exposition that begins tomorrow.
“Having remained with the descendants of its first owner for over 200 years, the painting has been superbly preserved, allowing us to appreciate Benoist’s remarkable attention to detail,” European Paintings Curator Emily Penny said in a statement. “Note the tears glistening on the queen’s cheek, the shining tendrils of Psyche’s hair, the flutter and weight of her drapes, the glow of pearls upon the flesh.”
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The soul bids farewell to its family It was acquired with the help of museum donors for an unknown amount, although it was last sold at auction in France for 292,000 euros ($328,500) in 2020. It will be displayed in San Francisco alongside the works of Benoist’s teachers, painters Elisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun, One of the few members of the Royal Academy, Jacques-Louis David.
A rare work from Benoist’s early neoclassical period, the painting depicts the sad parting of the legendary Greek princess Psyche as she prepares to sacrifice a terrible beast to save her father’s kingdom. She wore a scalloped white dress, and was caught breaking an embrace with her mother before the bereaved group. On the horizon, golden light slithered across the cloudy sky.
The year 1791 marked the first time that the bi-annual Salon in Paris was opened to non-members. The 23-year-old Benoist nimbled with The soul bids farewell to its familyIt is one of three historical paintings accepted into the exhibition.
Created at the dawn of the French Revolution, the painting captures the potential for such upheaval promised by French female artists, diminished by the male-dominated arts administration. Tragically, the promise to Benoist was not fulfilled. Despite her popularity, Benoist’s career was cut short by 1793 when her husband was unpopular with the ruling Jacobins, and the couple fled Paris at risk of arrest. By the time they were allowed to enter European society again, Benoist, now the only breadwinner, was forced to set aside her radical historical paintings in favor of mass- appealing portraits.
Eventually, her husband’s standing was restored at the expense of her ambitions. He was reinstated to a high position in the government after the fall of Napoleon Bonaparte, and Benoist was told that the drawing did not suit a woman in her position.
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