Portrait de la baronne de Vasserot en Diane

Painted in 1721 for the Museum of Art and History in Geneva, this work presents the Baroness de Vasserot costumed as Diana, the Roman goddess of the hunt — a fashionable conceit that allowed aristocratic women to project mythological virtue alongside personal beauty. Largillière was a master of the en déesse portrait, a format popularized at Versailles and widely adopted by provincial aristocracy seeking to connect themselves to the prestige of court culture. Diana's association with chastity, independence, and noble sport made her an especially appealing alter ego for women of rank. The Geneva collection context suggests the sitter was likely connected to the prosperous merchant and patrician families of the Swiss city, many of whom maintained cultural ties to Paris. This portrait reflects the pan-European reach of French taste in the early eighteenth century, as Largillière's reputation drew sitters from across the continent to his Paris studio.

Oil on canvas with the characteristic warm palette Largillière favored in his mythological portraits. The goddess attributes — bow, crescent, hunting dress — would be integrated naturally into the composition. Flesh tones are built with thin, luminous glazes over a warm ground, achieving the porcelain quality his contemporaries admired.