Adèle Ferrand, 1817 – 1848

Adèle Ferrand Paintings: The 3 Most Famous Works, Ranked

Adèle Ferrand's most famous painting is Self-portrait (1840), in the Musée Léon-Dierx, Saint-Denis. With Portrait of Denis François Le Coat de Kerveguen (1846) and Self-portrait (1840), it completes the three works everyone recognises. Our catalogue lists 3 works by Adèle Ferrand; the 3 below are the ones the world looks at most, each with its year, the museum that holds it and why it matters.

Ranked by our popularity score, which combines the searches, visits and orders for each work. Updated October 2026. Every masterpiece on this page can be ordered as a museum-quality, hand-painted oil reproduction or a fine art print, at the size you choose.

Portrait of Adèle Ferrand
Adèle Ferrand · 1817 – 1848
Born · died
1817 – 1848, Nancy
Works in our catalogue
3
Most famous
Self-portrait (1840)
Most works at
Musée Léon-Dierx

The 10 most famous Adèle Ferrand paintings

Where to see Adèle Ferrand's paintings

The museum that holds the most of the paintings on this page.

Museum City Works by Adèle Ferrand Paintings from this list
Musée Léon-Dierx, Saint-DenisMusée Léon-Dierx Saint-Denis 3 Self-portrait, Portrait of Denis François Le Coat de Kerveguen, Self-portrait

Adèle Ferrand's most famous paintings, year by year

Adèle Ferrand worked for only 7 years, from 1840 to 1846. Here is that short career year by year, through its most famous paintings.

  1. 1840
  2. 1840
  3. 1846

Questions about Adèle Ferrand's paintings

What is Adèle Ferrand's most famous painting?Show the answer

Self-portrait (1840), Musée Léon-Dierx, Saint-Denis. Next come Portrait of Denis François Le Coat de Kerveguen (1846) and Self-portrait (1840).

How old was Adèle Ferrand when Self-portrait was painted?Show the answer

23 years old: Self-portrait dates from 1840 and Adèle Ferrand was born in 1817.

How many paintings did Adèle Ferrand make?Show the answer

Our catalogue lists 3 works by Adèle Ferrand, dated from 1840 to 1846.

Where are Adèle Ferrand's most famous paintings?Show the answer

Most of them are in Musée Léon-Dierx (Saint-Denis). The table above lists the museums one by one.

When did Adèle Ferrand paint the most famous works?Show the answer

In 1840: 2 of the 3 works on this page date from then, among them Self-portrait.

What are Adèle Ferrand's earliest and latest famous paintings?Show the answer

The earliest on this page is Self-portrait (1840), the latest Portrait of Denis François Le Coat de Kerveguen (1846).

Which Adèle Ferrand paintings can I see at the Musée Léon-Dierx?Show the answer

Self-portrait, Portrait of Denis François Le Coat de Kerveguen and Self-portrait are among the 3 works on this page held by the Musée Léon-Dierx, Saint-Denis.

Can I buy a reproduction of a Adèle Ferrand painting?Show the answer

Yes. Every painting on this page can be ordered as a museum-quality, hand-painted oil reproduction or a fine art print, in the size you choose, from the painting's own page.

About Adèle Ferrand

The Short Arc of a Romantic Talent

To look at the surviving works of Adèle Ferrand is to witness a career truncated by tragedy before it could reach its full maturity. Born in Nancy, she emerged as a practitioner of the Romantic school, demonstrating a technical command that earned her regular placement in the Paris Salon starting in 1837. Her presence in the French art scene was not accidental; it was built on rigorous training under figures such as Le Poittevin and the Belgian historical painter Louis Gallait. She possessed the ability to handle both genre scenes and portraits with a directness that avoided unnecessary flourish.

Her trajectory shifted in 1846 when she married Denis François Le Coat de Kerveguen. This union moved her from the artistic circles of Paris to the island of Bourbon, now known as La Réunion. The move was not merely a change in geography but a shift in subject matter. In this distant territory of the Indian Ocean, her work began to absorb local elements. Her sketches and drawings from this period reflect a specific environment, incorporating:

Technical Execution and Final Years

Ferrand’s output was concentrated into a mere twelve years of active production. While her time in Paris allowed her to master the formal requirements of the Salon, her final two years on Réunion island provided a different kind of visual data. She produced studies of her young son, Herve, and portraits commissioned by her husband's family. These works show a painter capable of adapting the Romantic style to new, colonial landscapes.

The end of her life was as abrupt as her career. At only 30 years old, she died in Saint-Pierre from typhoid fever in 1848. Because her life ended so early, much of her legacy remains tied to specific collections, notably the Musée Léon-Dierx. Her son, Herve Le Coat de Kervéguen, later bequeathed a significant portion of her estate to the museum, including 24 framed paintings and drawings alongside hundreds of other sketches. This collection allows for a clear view of her development from a student in France to an artist documenting the life of a colonial outpost.