Equestrian Portrait of Mademoiselle Croizette 1873

Carolus-Duran painted this portrait of Mademoiselle Croizette on canvas in 1873. The overall composition is striking in its formal balance and colour palette. The painting uses a muted range of tones—dominated by browns, blacks, and greys—to create a scene that is both elegant and austere. Croizette's figure, enveloped in a dark riding habit, contrasts sharply with the pale sky and sand, drawing immediate attention to her poised presence. The artist's choice to position the subject on a beach introduces a sense of liminal space, challenging the traditional boundaries of equestrian portraiture. Duran uses line and form to enhance the viewer's perception, but the gaze extends beyond the surface to question societal roles and representations of women. In this way, the artwork functions as a complex interplay of aesthetic form and cultural critique.