Portrait of a Dancer (Mademoiselle Marie Sallé?)

A dancer identified tentatively as Marie Salle—Camargo"s great rival at the Paris Opera—poses in this 1735 portrait at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Salle was renowned for her expressive, dramatic style of dance, in contrast to Camargo"s technical brilliance, and she pioneered ballet d"action, or narrative dance. Lancret, who painted both celebrated ballerinas, captures the sitter in a pose that suggests performance while maintaining the conventions of formal portraiture.

The portrait combines the conventions of formal likeness with the suggestion of theatrical performance, placing the dancer in a pose that hints at movement while maintaining composure. Lancret renders the costume with particular attention to the quality of silk and the fall of fabric, using light to model the figure against a subdued background. The palette balances the bright costume with more restrained surroundings, focusing attention on the sitter"s face and graceful posture.