Attributed to Antoine Pesne

Admired for his painterly rococo sensibilities and rich use of color, Antoine Pesne achieved unrivaled success as a portraitist for the Prussian court of the siècle des lumières. The French-born artist was summoned to Berlin in 1710 by King Frederick I and appointed official court painter shortly thereafter, quickly establishing a lofty reputation among the leading aristocracy. His tremendous success was documented by Voltaire, who recorded the following praises of King Frederick II:

Quel spectacle étonnant vient de frapper mes yeux! /Cher Pesne, ton pinceau t'égale au rang des dieux! 

(What an amazing sight strikes my eyes! /Dear Pesne, your brush makes you equal in rank to the gods!).

Dressed in a blue satin gown enriched with lace, pearls, and floral details, the elegant sitter in this portrait was probably a member of the Prussian court. A related portrait by Anna Rosina Lisiewska (de Gasc), one of Pesne's students, depicts a different sitter wearing the same distinctive lace collar and gown, though in a purple fabric rather than blue.¹ Lisiewska, who was later appointed court painter herself, often copied Pesne's works with occasional modifications from her early career into the 1750s.

¹ Anna Rosina Lisiewska (de Gasc), Portrait of a lady in a lavender dress. Warsaw, National Museum, inv. no. 75532 MNW.