Portrait of a Woman

Created in 1711 by an artist identified as French 18th Century, this oil-on-canvas portrait depicts an unidentified woman. The early ownership history remains partially conjectural, potentially passing through Abbé Thuelin in Paris, James de Rothschild at the Château de Boulogne, and Lamorélie in Brittany. It may have subsequently belonged to Baron de Fourment at the Château de Cercamp, where it appeared in an estate sale in April 1892 as a work by Largillière.

By 1929, the painting was held by Wildenstein & Co. in Paris, New York, and London. The firm sold the work to the Samuel H. Kress Foundation in New York in December 1944. Finally, the foundation gifted the painting to the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., in 1946, where it remains part of the Kress Collection.

The painting is currently held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., specifically within the Samuel H. Kress Collection. The work entered the foundation's holdings in December 1944 following a sale by Wildenstein & Co., and was subsequently gifted to the museum in 1946. Prior to this, the artwork's provenance includes potential ownership by Abbé Thuelin in Paris, James de Rothschild at the Château de Boulogne, and the Baron de Fourment at the Château de Cercamp.

It may have appeared in the estate sale of the latter at Château de Cercamp between April 21 and 28, 1892, listed as lot number 50 under the title Bon Portrait de Femme and attributed to Largillierre. The provided sources do not list specific public exhibition history for this work.

This oil on canvas, titled "Portrait of a Woman," captures a female figure in a formal, seated pose. The artist meticulously rendered her elaborate attire and serene expression, offering a visual record of the period's social customs and fashion. The work exemplifies a common genre of portraiture from its time, focusing on the individual's presentation and societal role.

This portrait serves as a historical document, offering viewers a direct visual encounter with the past. Through the subject's formal presentation and the specific fashion depicted, the painting provides valuable insights into the social conventions, sartorial trends, and perhaps even the aspirations of individuals during the period it was created. It reflects the role of portraiture in documenting identity and status.