18th Century Portrait of a French Noblewoman

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Portrait of a French noblewoman painted in the mid to late 1700's.

The woman is dressed in traditional aristocratic European … Read more Portrait of a French noblewoman painted in the mid to late 1700's.

The woman is dressed in traditional aristocratic European fashion of the Rococo period. Her patterned gown features elaborate, cascading lace sleeve ruffles (engageantes) and an integrated lace stomacher or neck ruche.

She wears a close-fitting indoor lace cap (often called a dormeuse (or mob cap) common among married women or noblewomen of the mid-18th century, tied or held beneath the chin.

She rests her left index finger upon a small red-bound pocket book or devotional text, a common motif used in portraiture of the period to signify piety, literacy, and high social standing. She wears a notable gemstone cluster ring on her finger.



Beautifully framed in a French period frame. See less