“Longing”

This half height portrait was done in 1838 by Adèle Riché (1791–1878) who was a French painter. The subject appears to be staring into an unrevealed portrait and her face and shoulders point to a longing to be with or the missing of the sitter. The style of this piece is in keeping with the artists technique however the emotion is not characteristic of her paintings and shows growth or a particular effect being requested by the commision.

Riché was born, and lived her life in France. A pupil of Jan Frans van Dael and Gerard van Spaendonck she is known for her still life paintings, including watercolors, as well as her portraits.

Her techniques included botanical, entomological, and natural painting, oil, watercolor, on linen, canvas and on vellum. She also worked in her later years on perfecting her engraving, often adding in hand-colouring.

Riché died in Fontainebleau, France in 1878.