Mid-18th-Century French School, Portrait Of A Lady With Sapphires

Mid-18th-Century French School, Portrait Of A Lady With SapphiresThis charming mid 18th century half length French portrait depicts a lady wearing an olive green gown, together with a red cloak, and exquisite sapphire jewellery. Painted circa 1740, this piece can be contextualised by considering Louis Tocqus (1696 1772) portrait of Marie Leczinska, Queen of France, as Royal commissions often set the bar in terms of fashion. Note the similarities of the neckline, use of jewellery, and hairstyle, with its single curl

but encountered a violent storm on the return voyage

Unsurprisingly

particularly with the architecture

wealthy women dressed to impress in expensive fabrics such as silk

so perhaps that’s her in the white bonnet

as characteristically British clouds hover above

encloses the Christ Child

Her left hand clutches a turquoise necklace

two children dance under a radiant sun

producing numerous views of turbulent conditions

but returned to Dresden later in life

its ever-shifting moods have brought joy and exasperation in equal measure