Circle of Nicolas de Largillière, 
French 1656-1746- 

Portrait of a lady, half-length, wearing a crimson dress and a pearl in her hair; 

oil on canvas, oval, 92 x 71.5 cm. 

Provenance: 
Private Collection, UK. 

Note: 
The subject of the present work bears resemblance to a presumed portrait of Jeanne-Elisabeth de Beauharnais, painted by an anonymous hand and held at the Museum of Fine Arts of La Rochelle [MAH.2008.0.26]. De Largillière himself painted de Beauharnais in the early years of the 18th century in a striking portrait which is today held at the Museum of Grenoble [MG217].  It has also been suggested that the portrait could possibly depict the Polish princess Maria Clementina Sobieska (1702-1735), wife of James Francis Edward Stuart, the exiled King of Great Britain, and mother of Bonnie Prince Charlie.

The present work exhibits the tendencies which define de Largillière's output, including in the evocation of the sumptuous fabrics of the sitter's clothing, particularly the delicate lace and satin of her sleeves, and in her sympathetic yet dignified manner.

De Largillière was apprenticed to the Flemish painter Anton Goubau (1616-1698), before travelling to England, where he was employed by Sir Peter Lely (1618-1680). He was with Lely for four years at Windsor, during which time he also worked under the direction of  Antonio Verrio (c.1636-1707). De Largillière was much sought-after at the English court, with his sitters including King James II (1633-1701), his wife Mary of Modena (1658-1718), and their son James Francis Edward Stuart (1688-1766) ('The Old Pretender'). In 1686 he returned to France due to anti-Catholic sentiment, where he continued to enjoy considerable success, painting portraits of Voltaire (1694-1778), Charles Le Brun (1619-1690), King Augustus II of Poland (1670-1733) and his son, the future Augustus III of Poland (1696-1763).