"Portrait of a Lady with Dogs", Louis Ferdinand Elle the Elder, circa 1650

"cardinal mazarin's nieces are identified several times posing as our lady as diana the huntress, in identical attire and wearing the same luxurious red and white ostrich feathers. A portrait of hortense attributed to gascard (from the former collections of the metropolitan museum, sotheby's sale, paris, june 25, 2008, no. 41), another of laure, duchess of mercœur as minerva (private collection, france) and the last of olympe, countess of soissons as athena attributed to mignard (location unknown) bear witness to this. The presence of two cavalier king charles spaniels, named in honor of charles ii of england, points us to hortense mancini. The prince and future king asked for her hand in marriage in 1659, a hand that cardinal mazarin refused, wanting to avoid a misalliance. The duchess finally found refuge in the arms of this royal lover in 1675, after having fled france and her overly jealous husband. ". Date: circa 1650. Dimensions: height: 173 cm (68.1 in); width: 96 cm (37.7 in). Medium: oil on canvas. Collection: Unidentified location. Circle of Louis Ferdinand Elle the Elder - Portrait de dame aux chiens