Louise Élisabeth, Madame la Princesse de Conti, as
Venus
Artist
Noël-Nicolas Coypel
(French, 1690-1734)
Date1731
CultureFrench
MediumOil on canvas
ClassificationPaintings
ProvenanceJames Jewett Stillman (1850–1918), New York; by inheritance to his son, Charles Chauncey Stillman (1877–1926), New York; (sold Stillman sale, American Art Association, New York, 3 February 1927, lot 20, for $3,500); John Ringling (1866–1936), Sarasota, Florida; bequest in 1936 to the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art, Sarasota, Florida.
Credit LineBequest of John Ringling, 1936
Object numberSN381
Paintings of women featuring flowers, flesh, and flowing silks in pale colors capture the frivolity of the pampered life at the French court in the 1700s. This portrait depicts LouiseÉlisabeth de Bourbon, Princess of Conti, who was a charismatic beauty, a subject of much court gossip, and a participant in many intrigues. She is shown as Venus, the goddess of love in ancient mythology. Thus, the Princess is presented as she wanted to be seen—as a perfect woman inspiring love and devotion in all who met her.
On View
On viewLocation
- Museum of Art, Gallery 15, Wall East
Collections
Frame: 63 1/2 × 50 3/8 × 3 15/16 in. (161.3 × 128 × 10 cm)
