Portrait of a lady, full-length, seated at a table, holding a fan

Sophie Rude was born into an artistically inclined family – her father was an assistant curator at the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Dijon and a patron of contemporary artists – and trained initially under Anatole Devosge, a pupil of Jacques-Louis David. The family was compelled to move to Brussels due to their staunch Bonapartist sensibilities, a move which enabled her to finish her studies with David himself. Rude became a successful artist in Brussels, receiving numerous commissions, including for the decoration of the royal palace at Tervuren (now destroyed). In 1826, she returned to France, settling in Paris. She is predominantly known for her mythological scenes, though she also turned her brush to both religious paintings and portraits.