Julie, the lovestruck woman in a painting, who inspired an arthouse hit
(The Guardian Books News)

The Souvenir and The Goldfinch, both based on celebrated artworks, are set to pique a revival of interest in the originalsShe is the young heroine of a romantic novel that once rocked the whole of France and she is also the star of a charming portrait housed at London´s Wallace Collection. Now, thanks to an art-house hit - a film delighting critics and winning five-star reviews - the spotlight has swung once again on to Julie D´Etange, the enigmatic subject of Jean-Honoré Fragonard´s little painting The Souvenir.His picture shows a young woman in a luxurious pink satin dress carving her lover´s initials into a tree, in a scene drawn from Jean-Jacques Rousseau´s 1761 book Julie. Written in letter form, the story charts the path of her illicit love for Saint-Preux, a former lover and tutor, reintroduced into her life by her unsuspecting husband. Related: The Souvenir review - Joanna Hogg back on form with sly, disconcerting drama Continue reading...