artwork

Portrait of my Great Great Aunt Elise Raison

A portrait of a sister grieving the loss of her little brother during World War I

Portrait of my Elise Raison

This is a portrait of my great great aunt Elise Raison, the sister of my maternal great grandmother, Henriette Raison Gudefin. This portrait was painted in Paris during World War I following the Bataille de la Somme in 1916, where her youngest brother, Georges Raison, was killed at the age of 20 in the trenches. 50,000 French soldiers were killed during this tragic battle. My aunt Elise always told my mother that she looked sad in this portrait, because she was grieving her little brother. The painter is Virginie Demont Breton.

Paris, France

Circa 1916

Juliet Perrachon

artwork | World War I | France | Bataille de la Somme