This portrait shows the face of a young woman, possibly Parisian, who posed as a model for the artist. Her face is round. Her gaze is soft, somewhat sad or pensive. Her hair is slightly curly in shades of dark chestnut. It is tied at the back of her neck and falls over her shoulders, with an unruly strand on her forehead. Her complexion is fair, slightly tanned. The bottom of her left cheek is ruddy. Her crimson lips are graciously defined, while the tip and bridge of her proportioned nose capture the light. Her outfit is dark and trimmed with a rounded neckline.
With respect to the artist, Rodolphe Duguay (1891-1973), he was from Nicolet, a community located near Trois-Rivières, but on the south shore of the St. Lawrence River in Quebec. Already a gifted artist, he had the opportunity to study drawing and painting in the City of Light.
While in Paris, Duguay jotted down, in broad strokes, his impressions in his diary. He knew how to summarize—in an almost telegraphic style and in just a few words—the significant segments of his reality as an artist.
Among others, in March 1926, Duguay wrote: “March 1, 1926, Monday, 5 to 8 in the evening. This afternoon at (the Académie) Colarossi, sweet little Parisian face as a model, rather attractive little boulevard hen with her short-cropped hair, I made a pretty good sketch of her, I think.”
Or “Paris 3/8/26 Monday, 1/2 past 6 in the evening. Last week, had a little boulevard girl as a model; I didn’t do anything good. This week, little woman who had everything of the executive type, famous tiny model of profession. She was quite attractive in her green dress from the executive era. I made a pretty good sketch of her.”
Then, “Paris, March 15, 1926, Monday, 20 to 8 in the evening. This afternoon, went to Colarossi, female model in very pretty Alsatian dress.”
But perhaps this sweet little face captured by Duguay was not mentioned in his diary.
Duguay returned to his home in Nicolet in June 1927.
Donation from Msgr. Albert Tessier
Musée Pierre-Boucher Collection
1977 12 P
