Portrait of the Artist's Wife Asleep (Marie Guilloux) c. 1880

Albert Charles Lebourg created this artwork of his sleeping wife, Marie Guilloux, using charcoal and stump on paper. Lebourg lived through a transformative period in French history, marked by industrialization and social change, and these shifts also affected the intimate sphere of domestic life. The piece offers a tender yet complicated glimpse into the artist’s personal life, reflective of gender dynamics of his time. The vulnerability of Marie as she sleeps is palpable. Her posture, with her head tilted slightly, evokes both serenity and a sense of unguardedness. Lebourg captures a quiet moment, but also implies the complex power dynamics inherent in the act of portraying his wife in such a private state. This piece transcends a mere portrait. It explores the emotional landscape of marriage, the subtleties of domestic life, and the quiet moments of respite that offer a counterbalance to the demands of the outside world.