Portrait, 17th Century: The Noble Marquise De Sévigné, Louis XIV, Claude Lefebvre, Pierre Mignard, 18th-century Frame

A portrait from the Louis XIV era, dating from the second half of the 17th century, depicting the woman traditionally identified by the family as the Marquise de Sévigné.
Indeed, when comparing this portrait with those by Pierre Mignard or Claude Lefebvre—who painted her on several occasions—it bears a striking resemblance. 
This portrait comes from the COUSTOU collection, a family of renowned 17th- and 18th-century sculptors, which was passed down through the generations to the Brochant de Villiers family, who put this collection up for sale.
This collection comprised 17 portraits, of which this painting is one (see photo of the sale label affixed to the back of the stretcher).
This portrait is unsigned, as is very often the case with old paintings, but the quality of the execution, the modeling of the face, the gentleness of the gaze, the subtlety of the skin tone, and the elaborate hairstyle all point to the hand of a talented artist.
I suspect it may be from the circle of Claude Lefbvre (1632–1675) and Pierre Mignard (1612–1695).
The costume and jewelry—especially the small, close-fitting pearl necklace—are characteristic of portraits from the court of Louis XIV.
Marie de Rabatin—Chantal, Marquise de Sévigné—was born in Paris in 1626 and died at her château in Grignan in the Drôme.
She is famous for the numerous letters she wrote to her beloved daughter: Françoise, also known as Madame de Grignan.
In these letters, she describes with great accuracy and wit the lifestyle, the spirit of the times, and the events of the second half of Louis XIV’s reign.
This painting was re-stretched in the 19th century, and the canvas was mounted on a sturdy 19th-century stretcher.
It is set in an 18th-century gilded and stuccoed wooden frame that shows minor imperfections and old repairs, but nothing serious.
It is in its original condition and can be hung as is.
Dimensions with frame: 72 cm x 62 cm.
Dimensions of the painting itself: 53.50 cm x 43 cm.
Shipping cost via Chronopost with excellent packaging and insurance: 30 €.
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