Charlotte Philippine de Châtre de Cangé, Marquise de Lamure
Artist
Charles Antonie Coypel
(French, 1694–1752)
Dateabout 1735
Mediumpastel on blue paper laid down on linen
Dimensionssheet: 74.5 × 61.5 cm (29 5/16 × 24 3/16 in.)
ClassificationsPastels
Credit LineTheodore T. and Mary G. Ellis Collection
Object number1940.61
Label TextCharles-Antoine Coypel likely produced this ornate portrait of Charlotte Philippine de Châtre du Cangé soon after her first marriage to Jean Pierre Imbert. It uses a technique called trompe l’oeil—trick of the eye—to create the three-dimensional illusion of Châtre du Cangé resting her forearms on a carriage window. Coypel masterfully reproduces the tactile qualities of her attire; the velvet, lace, fur, silk, even her creamy skin, all indicate her elite social status.
Châtre du Cangé’s targeted gaze contrasts with the graceful way her right hand gently clutches a fan. This juxtaposition of power and familiarity suggests access to a complex internal life—uncommon in eighteenth-century portraits of French women.Provenance1789, Madame Charlotte Rosalie Chastre [1733–1753], cousin of the sitter. 1890, M. de La Rue, Château des Caites. (July 1, 1899, Baron de Reuter sale, Christie's London, No. 105 [attributed to La Tour]). (About 1922, Duveen Brothers, London). 1929, Theodore and Mary Ellis; 1940, acquired by the Worcester Art Museum.On View
Not on view
