Françoise Marie de Bourbon as Venus, Pierre Gobert & studio, c. 1695

Late 17th century, circa 1695
Pierre Gobert (Fontainebleau, 1662-Paris, 1744) and his workshop
Oil on canvas
Dimensions: h. 109 cm, w. 92 cm
Important 19th century Louis XIV style giltwood and gilt stucco stucco finely carved with foliage and scrolls.
Framed dimensions: h. 142 cm (55.9 inch), w. 126 cm (49.61 inch)


A magnificent painting depicting the princess in all the splendour of her youth, Françoise Marie de Bourbon, known as the second Mademoiselle de Blois (Maintenon, 1677 - Paris, 1749), daughter of Louis XIV and Madame Montespan, future wife of the Regent.
The princess is portrayed full-length seated on a chariot pulled by two doves floating in the sky.
Her slender face is draped in an ample antique blue dress, tied at the waist by a golden belt in allusion to the attribute of Venus (the belt of Venus gives the wearer an irresistible power of seduction). The cloth falls back and reveals her bare breast.
She holds the reindeer of her chariot in her right hand, while her left hand holds up a large flowing cloth, which serves as a canopy.
With her head slightly bowed, she looks at the viewer with confidence and assurance. The hairstyle, arranged in a high bun à la Fontanges whose curls are held in place by a diadem with a large ruby; It ends with long locks falling over the shoulder and nape of the neck, while on the front two loops frame the forehead. The oblong face with wide blue eyes, long nose and rosy full cheeks combined with porcelain skin indicate the young age of the princess.
The composition breaks with the tradition of Baroque ceremonial portraits dear to Louis XIV, solemn figures with heavy theatrical draperies, brocade and velvet dresses and countless jewels, signs of external wealth.
Thus, far from conventional representations, here the light and fluid fabrics in fresh colours associated with a natural environment highlight the model and the person portrayed, placing status or social hierarchy in the background.

Related works:
• Portrait of Françoise-Marie de Bourbon in Amphitrite, Palace of Versailles, inv. MV3739, h. 125 cm, l. 11 cm
• Portrait of Mademoiselle de Clermont on a chariot drawn by doves, Château de Chantilly, INV. n° 657, h. 93 cm, l. 73 cm. The identification of the model is erroneous, it is certainly Françoise Marie de Bourbon
• Portrait of Françoise-Marie de Bourbon in Galatea, Christie's New York auction, 23/01/2004

Curiously, none of these three versions is strictly identical, if the portrait at Versailles depicts the princess as Amphitrite on the waters, the figure and drapery are identical to our painting. At the same time, the portrait of Chantilly represents the princess as Venus on her chariot (identical position to our portrait), yet the arrangement of the drapery is not similar and is identical in the portrait at the Christie's sale where she is again in Galatea on the waves. This interchangeability is very characteristic of Pierre Gobert, who often worked on the same model, multiplying variants and versions according to orders.