Portrait of a Young Lady

An unidentified young lady appears in this portrait from around 1750 at the Walters Art Museum in Baltimore. The Walters, one of America"s great encyclopedic museums, acquired French portraits as part of its founder"s broad collecting interests. Drouais"s early portraits from around 1750 show the developing style that would mature into his celebrated court manner. 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 young woman is presented in fashionable mid-century dress, with Drouais rendering the costume and features with the emerging polish of his early professional work. The palette features the warm, soft tones of youthful portraiture. The handling shows the careful technique that would develop into the smooth perfection of his mature style.