Marie Guillelmine Benoist

Marie Guillelmine Benoist was a French painter born in 1768 and active during the Neoclassicism movement. She is best known for her portraiture and historical subjects, often highlighting themes of femininity and social issues. Benoist gained recognition for her work "Portrait of a Black Woman," which is notable for its representation of race and gender in the context of early 19th-century France. She exhibited at the Salon and was one of the few female artists to achieve prominence during her time. Benoist's contributions to art and her role as a female artist in a male-dominated field have been increasingly acknowledged in contemporary discussions of art history. She passed away in 1826.