Marie de Laubespine

About this work

This is a black-and-white portrait of a woman dressed in fancy 18th-century clothes. She sits sideways, holding a fan and a small cat. Her hair is curled up high, and she wears a fur collar with jewels on her dress. The background looks like a curtain or draped fabric, and there’s a small decorative cartouche at the bottom with text. The artist used fine lines and shading to show the folds in her clothes and the softness of her face. This kind of detailed linework is typical of engravings. Next, look up engraving to see how artists create these intricate prints.