A portrait of Marie-Caroline, duchesse de Berry by Robert Lefevre. 1826.
Marie-Caroline was the wife of Charles Ferdinand d’Artois, the youngest son of Charles X, or the comte d’Artois. She was also the daughter of Francis I the Two Sicilies, who was the nephew of Marie Antoinette.
Wistful Thoughts (1878). Gustave Jean Jacquet (French, 1846-1909). Oil on canvas.
During the 19th century, particularly in France, people developed a vivid fascination with the past and paintings of the bygone eras were in demand. Jacquet specialised in painting nudes, portraits and genre subjects in which he evoked the elegance of the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries. These works were exquisitely painted with every attention paid to detail; his use of colour is rich and vibrant and his rendition of luxurious cloth is outstanding.