Portrait of Geneviève Rinteau de Verrières, (1730-1775) Mistress of Maurice de Saxe

Genevieve Rinteau de Verrieres, mistress of Maurice de Saxe, the celebrated Marshal of France, appears in this portrait from around 1770. The liaisons of French military heroes and aristocrats created a shadow court of unofficial consorts whose portraits document the informal social structures of the Ancien Regime. Drouais rendered these women with the same elegance he brought to legitimate royalty. 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 presents the sitter with the beauty and poise that her social position demanded, Drouais"s technique converting the historical individual into an image of perfected femininity. The palette is warm and flattering, with careful attention to the complexion and the textures of fashionable dress. The handling maintains Drouais"s characteristic smoothness, with invisible brushwork creating the illusion of flawless skin and lustrous fabric.