Painting of the Day: Portrait of a Lady called Jeanne de Marigny, 1650-1660

Portrait of a Lady Called Jeanne de Marigny
1650-1660
Either Charles Beaubrun or Henri Beaubrun or both
The Victoria & Albert Museum

This elegant painting of a richly dressed woman is curious in a variety of ways. To begin with, though the painting is said to be of a woman named Jeanne de Marigny, no one is quite sure who she is. No other portraits of the sitter survive, no are any records of her to be found.


Another odd thing about this painting is that it has been attributed to two artists and may be the work of one of them or both of them. Said to be the work of Charles Beaubrun and/or Henri Beaubrun, the canvas shows hallmarks of the hand of both artists. The Beaubrun were cousins—both of whom worked in the courts of Louis XIII and XIV and are virtually indistinguishable in both style and subject matter.

Nevertheless, it’s an exquisite painting and though we don’t really know who she is or who painted her, this canvas is an interesting glimpse into the style and fashion of the Seventeenth Century France.