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Marguerite

Anthony van Dyck

Around 1633-1634 Anthony van Dyck was living in Brussels, where he painted the portraits of various aristocrats, including this likeness of the French duchess Marguerite de Lorraine.

In 1632, Marguerite de Lorraine secretly married the duke of Orléans, the younger brother of King Louis XIII. Political tension between the two brothers resulted in the duke’s exile to Brussels. The duchess followed him in 1633 to Brussels, where their marriage was made public. However, the parliament in Paris dissolved their union in 1634.

Van Dyck painted various portraits of Marguerite de Lorraine, in which she is invariably attired in sumptuous, fashionable clothing. In this portrait she wears a black silk cloak over a high-waisted dress with a stand-up collar, wide sleeves with lace cuffs, and silk ribbons and bows as decoration. In her left hand she holds a fan, a luxury accessory.

 

Specifications

  • Portrait of Marguerite de Lorraine
  • Anthony van Dyck (1599 - 1641)
  • Oil on canvas
  • Long-term loan, Private collection