Marie Emilie Coignet de Courson (1716–1806) with a Dog

Jean Honoré Fragonard French

Not on view

This painting belongs to a celebrated group of Fragonards known as the fantasy figures. The canvas is broadly brushed, with exceptional virtuosity, panache, and a sense of speed. The model has recently been identified as the aristocratic salon hostess Marie Emilie Coignet de Courson. Her costume recalls the court dress of Queen Marie de Médicis (1573–1642) in Rubens’s famous series of paintings (Musée du Louvre, Paris) which Fragonard had occasion to study in 1767. There is humor in the contrast between the ample proportions of the lady and the small size of her lapdog; the curl of his silky tail echoes her gray ringlets.

Marie Emilie Coignet de Courson (1716–1806) with a Dog, Jean Honoré Fragonard (French, Grasse 1732–1806 Paris), Oil on canvas

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