"the comparison of this portrait with others, executed by the beaubruns, henri (ambroise 1603-1677) and charles (ambroise 1604 - paris 1692), painters to the king, who worked in collaboration in paris between approximately 1630 and 1675, is interesting. We find there their rather stiff style, their meticulous workmanship, their decoration reduced to the extreme, as well as the omnipresent necklace of pearls - and often the earrings. But these jewels also often adorn other portraits from the 17th century. This fact is perhaps explained by the difficulty of artists of this period in plastically expressing the attachment of the neck to the shoulders. This work should be compared to the production of ferdinand elle. According to unverified tradition, they represent madame de montespan and miss de la vallière, miss de fontanges and madame de ludre. The comparison between the treatment of the faces - the pointed nose linked to the eyebrow arch, the round and tiny mouth, the rather broad face -, the treatment of the very elongated hands and the very light work of the hair in flat curls under the veil, shows fruitful similarities; on the other hand, the decor of the paintings, the style and the richness of the costumes are very different. The presence of the animal (sheep, lamb?) in the character's arms remains mysterious. Can he confirm the link with louise de la baume le blanc, duchess of la vallière, favorite of louis xiv, born in tours (1644 - 1710) and who entered carmel in 1674? it is more common to see it in a painting with a religious subject. ". Date: 17th century. Dimensions: height: 70 cm (27.5 in); width: 55.7 cm (21.9 in). Medium: oil on canvas. Collection: Musée des Ursulines.
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