Portrait of a Lady, said to be Mademoiselle de Forges

A lady identified as Mademoiselle de Forges appears in this portrait from around 1750, an early work from the period when Drouais was establishing his practice. The tentative identification suggests the sitter"s identity was not recorded with the painting, a common situation for minor portraits that separated from their original family contexts during the upheavals of revolution and dispersal. Drouais was among the most successful portraitists of pre-Revolutionary France, working in the tradition of his father Hubert Drouais and studying under Carle van Loo, Natoire, and Boucher before establishing himself at court.

The portrait shows a young woman in the fashionable dress of mid-century, rendered with the developing technique of Drouais"s early career. The face is modeled with careful attention to likeness and beauty. The palette features the warm tones of Drouais"s emerging style, with the costume providing decorative interest within the relatively simple composition.