Mlle. Marguerite Catherine Haynault, later the Marquise de Montmelas in Turkish Costume

Drouais's 1757 portrait of Marguerite Catherine Haynault in Turkish costume belongs to the fashion for 'turquerie' — orientalist costume portraits — that swept European aristocratic society in the mid-eighteenth century. Turkish costume provided an exotic alternative to the formal French dress of official portraiture, allowing sitters to appear in an adventurous, theatrical light that suggested cosmopolitan sophistication. The fashion reflected Europe's fascination with the Ottoman Empire, fed by diplomatic contacts, travel literature, and Montesquieu's Persian Letters. Mademoiselle Haynault later became the Marquise de Montmelas.

The exotic costume gives Drouais maximum scope to display his facility with fabrics: the Turkish robes offer different textures and colors from French court dress. The turban and jewels are rendered with Rococo decorative pleasure. The face retains its characteristic French portraiture idealization beneath the oriental accessories.