Large Regence portrait

Important and rare Régence-period portrait of a young woman from high society. She is depicted from the front to mid-body, richly dressed in a shimmering silk gown with lace neckline and sleeves, and a midnight-blue coat covered with red fabric.
This painting, which could be hastily attributed to Largillière's workshop, both for its date of creation and the quality of its drapery, is undoubtedly a "tableau de couloir", i.e. a painting painted to be viewed from the side. It is, however, imbued with a certain Van Loo softness, reminiscent of Jean-Michel and Carle Van Loo, while its date of creation brings to mind Jean-Baptiste Van Loo.
In the past, "corridor" paintings were highly sought-after by connoisseurs and major collectors, not least because they are usually masterpieces rather than studio works. We also know that portraits "with hands" were much more expensive.
On the other hand, its quality of execution is undeniable, and we can appreciate the colorist's skill in the delicate rendering of skin tones and fabrics, as well as the virtuoso treatment of hands and hair, the virtuosity of the movement of the rich drapery and, last but not least, the luxury of the jewels, all of which make it a spectacular piece.
This work is typical of the great academic portraits of French nobility in the early 18th century, in the spirit of the Van Loo family.
French school. Van Loo circle.

(Confirmed by Éric Turquin)

Régence period.


Dimensions: frame: height 91.5 cm x width 73.5 cm
(frame size 30 F).


Condition : mid-18th century painting, in its original stretcher.
Cleaned, stripped of major overpainting (varnish) that did not affect the original pictorial layer, and re-varnished by our restorer.