Portrait of a Lady

Portrait of a Lady at the Statens Museum for Kunst shows Fragonard working in a more formal portrait mode than his famous fantasy figures. The painting demonstrates his ability to produce commissioned likenesses that satisfied the conventions of eighteenth-century French portraiture. The bravura brushwork—rapid, swirling strokes building luminous effects—was applied alla prima onto canvas primed with warm ochre grounds, a technique Fragonard developed after studying Tiepolo in Venice.

The portrait combines careful facial modeling with Fragonard's characteristically warm palette. The sitter's costume is rendered with attention to fabric textures and fashionable accessories.