Madame Sophie de France (1734–1782)

Drouais's portrait of Madame Sophie de France (1734–1782), third daughter of Louis XV, was painted in 1762 when Sophie was twenty-eight years old. Along with her sisters, Sophie was a subject of several Nattier and Drouais portraits that collectively defined the visual image of the French royal family in the mid-eighteenth century. Sophie was among the less prominent of Louis XV's daughters, known for her piety and retiring character, and Drouais captures the formal propriety expected of a French princess without the mythological elaboration that characterized some of his and Nattier's royal portraits.

Drouais employs his characteristic refined technique with particular emphasis on the elaborate silks, laces, and jewels of royal dress. The composition is formal and erect, with Sophie's bearing conveying the dignity of her station through measured posture and direct gaze.