Marie Pasteur (1855) Painting by Jean-Baptiste Auguste Leloir

One of 3 paintings so far known to depicting Marie Pasteur, wife of Louis Pasteur.

We are talking about Louis Pasteur the French scientist from which pasteurization is named from.

The painting is signed by Jean-Baptiste Auguste LELOIR most likely around 1864 or just after. See description.

The painting was acquired in Switzerland and only after some cleaning the artist Leloir's signature was discovered.

It then turned out that a similar painting in size, color and composition was done also by Leloir of the daughter of Louis Pasteur, Cecile Pasteur in 1864.

The painting of Cecile Pasteur is in the possession of the Pasteur Museum in Paris as well as the other two painting so far knowing to depicting Marie Pasteur.

Cicile Pasteur later died of typhus in 1866 being 12 year old, which encouraged Louis Pasteur works on decreases and bacteria going forward.

The painting here of Louis Pasteurs wife Marie Pasteur, must logically have been done by Leloir around the same time or just after he painted Cicile Pasteur.

Marie Pasteur was born in 1826, so she would have been around 38 old when Leloir painted her, which match the peinting here.

Both face, frisure, jewelry and clothes match both fotos and the 2 other painting of here so far known to exist. ( see enclosed pictures)


Louis Pasteur biography:

Louis Pasteur, French: 27 December 1822 – 28 September 1895) was a French chemist, pharmacist, and microbiologist renowned for his discoveries of the principles of vaccination, microbial fermentation, and pasteurization, the last of which was named after him.

His research in chemistry led to remarkable breakthroughs in the understanding of the causes and preventions of diseases, which laid down the foundations of hygiene, public health and much of modern medicine.

Pasteur's works are credited with saving millions of lives through the developments of vaccines for rabies and anthrax.

He is regarded as one of the founders of modern bacteriology and has been honored as the "father of bacteriology" and the "father of microbiology".


Jean-Baptiste Auguste LELOIR Biography:

A pinner of a dynasty of painters, Auguste Leloir is the husband of watercolourist Héloïse Colin (1820-1874), the father of the painter Alexandre-Louis Leloir and the illustrator Maurice Leloir, and the uncle of Édouard Toudouze.

Crowned with a 3rd Grand Prix of Rome in 1835, Auguste Leloir exhibited at the Salon in the same year. He was awarded twice, obtaining a 3rd class medal at the 1839 Salon and a 2nd class medal at the 1841 Salon for his painting representing Homer, purchased by the State and deposited at the Louvre Museum.

Author of historical, religious and mythological scenes, he also practises the art of portraiture.

He is buried in the Montparnasse cemetery, in the 18th Division. His remains were transferred to Père Lachaise's ossuary on September 15, 1992.


Marie Pasteur biography:

Marie Pasteur was one of the daughters of the Rector of the Strasbourg Academy.

She married in Strasbourg 29 May 1849, aged 23, to Louis Pasteur, aged 26.

Marie worked as a secretary and science writer to her spouse and served as his amanuensis.

She was his active assistant in his scientific experiments.

She worked with him on expanding his first works.

The students and colleagues of Louis Pasteur acknowledged the importance she had for him in his work as his assistant.

She grew the silkworms he needed for his experiment with their diseases, and she took care of the children he tried his famous experimental treatment on.

She moved with him to his quarters at the Pasteur Institute, and continued to live there after his death.

Related themes

PasteurMarie PasteurPasteur MuseumVacsine