The Maréchale-Comtesse de Mailly in Van Dyck Costume
Returned to lender
This work of art was on loan to the museum and has since been returned to its lender.The young maréchale-comtesse (1761–1840) married a septuagenarian and member of the old nobility. Despite the age difference, they were happy. The sitter’s kindness and sense of mischief pleased Marie Antoinette, and she joined the queen’s intimate circle. Dressed here in masquerade, she wears a silk gown with a pleated collar, a stiff bodice, and slit sleeves, exemplifying contemporary taste for the artful sophistication of what was called Spanish costume.
Artwork Details
- Title: The Maréchale-Comtesse de Mailly in Van Dyck Costume
- Artist: Elisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun (French, Paris 1755–1842 Paris)
- Date: 1783
- Medium: Oil on canvas
- Dimensions: Oval, 29 × 23 1/4 in. (73.5 × 59 cm)
Frame: 40 15/16 × 31 7/8 in. (104 × 81 cm) - Classification: Paintings
- Credit Line: Private collection
- Curatorial Department: European Paintings