Portrait Of A Lady Of Quality, Attributed To François De Troy (1645-1730)

Large Portrait of a Lady of Quality Oil on canvas: 80 x 63 cm excluding frame and 104 x 89 cm
Important carved and gilded wooden frame This magnificent portrait, depicted in three-quarter view before a marble column, shows this elegant lady of the court richly dressed in a white satin gown embroidered with gold thread and adorned with a pearl brooch. The sleeves are held by ribbons embellished with a jewel and lace, and a pink silk cloak covers her shoulders. Her face is delicate and rosy, her gaze gentle and serene. Her hair is styled in a high chignon à la Fontange, the brown curls of which fall delicately over her right shoulder, held in place by a long, slender hand.
Our painting is enhanced by a 17th-century carved and gilded wooden frame.

Born into a family of painters from Toulouse, François de Troy studied in Paris under Nicolas Loir and Claude Lefèvre. He excelled in portraiture and history painting. In 1694, he was admitted to the Royal Academy. He became the court painter to King James II, then in exile at Saint-Germain-en-Laye, working alongside his pupil Alexis Simon Belle. For over fifty years, he served as court painter in France and abroad.