Portrait of Mademoiselle de Fontanges – Workshop of Pierre Mignard (1612–1695)
A bust-length portrait of a young aristocrat from the court of Louis XIV—most likely Marie-Angélique de Scorailles, Duchess of Fontanges, a celebrated mistress of the Sun King. The young woman is depicted in a three-quarter view, her gaze—gentle yet self-assured—directed toward the viewer. Her porcelain complexion is enhanced by rosy-red cheeks, a look typical of the beauty standards at the Court of Versailles.
She is shown wearing intimate yet sumptuous indoor attire, known as a *déshabillé* or dressing gown. Unlike the highly structured and rigid formal gowns (*grand habit*) mandated by court etiquette, the *déshabillé* favored fluid lines.
Mademoiselle de Fontanges remains famous in the history of fashion for having inadvertently launched one of the 17th century’s most iconic hairstyles. During a royal hunt in the Forest of Fontainebleau around 1679, her hair came undone; she hastily tied it up at the crown of her head using a ribbon from her garter. Charmed by this spontaneous, elegant disarray, Louis XIV asked her to keep the hairstyle. By the very next day, all the ladies of the court rushed to imitate the royal mistress, transforming this improvised gesture into a genuine fashion phenomenon that dominated Europe for over two decades.
Workshop of Pierre Mignard (1612–1695)
France
Dimensions:
With frame: 92 cm x 80 cm
Without frame: 74 cm x 60 cm
