Portrait Of A Lady With A Parrot, Attributed To Pierre Gobert

Portrait of a Lady of the Court Holding a Garland of Flowers, attributed to Pierre Gobert (1662-1744)

Oil on canvas with its Louis XV giltwood frame.


This painting combines the typical characteristics of the works of Pierre Gobert, a renowned portraitist of the nobility in the first half of the 18th century.

The woman, with a porcelain complexion, rosy cheeks and lips, delicately turns her head to the right, her eyes facing the viewer head-on, and her torso and arms are turned to the left.

With a graceful movement that is highly representative of Gobert's works, this lady of quality holds a garland of small, mostly red and white flowers. A barrette of flowers in the same composition harmoniously adorns her hair. The care given to these floral details (peonies, carnations, and jasmine) recalls the Flemish influence visible in Gobert's paintings.

Dressed in a pink dress highlighted in white and a blue coat thrown over her shoulder, this woman embodies the feminine elegance specific to the circle of ladies of the court.


Her graceful posture, her soft yet direct gaze, and the drapery flowing lightly behind her, evoke the portraits of Charlotte Aglaé d'Orléans, Mademoiselle de Valois (1700-1761), or the Portrait of a Lady and a Gentleman, known as Philippe II, Duke of Orléans, and Marie-Madeleine de la Vieuville, Countess of Parabère, or the Portrait of the Duchess of Luynes, also painted by Gobert.

Certain details, such as the stone console or the parrot perched on it, are also characteristic of this artist. Indeed, it is quite rare to find a portrait of a lady of quality accompanied by an exotic animal. Although these exotic motifs (parrots, monkeys, etc.) were widely represented during this period, aristocratic women preferred to be depicted alone or alongside small dogs. Several of Gobert's portraits stand out precisely for this originality. Such as:
Portrait of Charlotte Grimaldi, known as Mademoiselle de Valentinois, aged three in 1722, playing with a monkey, or the presumed Portrait of Marie Louise Elisabeth d'Orléans (1695-1719), Duchess of Berry, or his Portrait of a Young Princess Accompanied by Her Dog and Monkey.


Although this lady appears to stand out against a dark, plain background, a subtle decoration is discernible. In the background, we see shrubs with fine branches, small leaves, and sometimes flowering stems in a light red, as well as detailed work on the console. These elements, always serving the model, remain quite dark in order to bring out the portrait in a striking manner, as Gobert conceived it; a luminous face with a porcelain complexion, an elaborate hairstyle adorned with fresh flowers, a restrained sensuality in the treatment of fabrics and flesh, delicate gestures, an original exotic representation, all contrasting against a dark but existing background.

Beautiful and large painting with a period frame, with very beautiful floral sculptures in bas-relief and haut-relief.

Work from the first half of the 18th century, attributed to Pierre Gobert.

Dimensions with frame: H: 118 cm x W: 99 cm