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Lady Mary Villiers, Duchess of Richmond and Lennox (1622-85)
Anthony van Dyck·1637
Historical Context
Lady Mary Villiers, Duchess of Richmond from 1637 depicts one of the great beauties of the Stuart court, daughter of the Duke of Buckingham. Van Dyck's portraits of the court's leading ladies defined the ideal of feminine beauty for the Caroline era. Van Dyck's portraits defined aristocratic self-presentation across Europe, his elongated elegance and atmospheric painting technique establishing a model for formal portraiture that dominated British art until the nineteenth century.
Technical Analysis
Van Dyck renders the duchess with luminous skin and elegant bearing, using the rich silk gown and graceful pose to create an image of aristocratic feminine beauty at its most refined.
Look Closer
- ◆Notice the luminous skin and elegant bearing with rich silk gown creating aristocratic feminine beauty at its most refined.
- ◆Look at Van Dyck's portraits of the court's leading ladies defining the feminine ideal of the Caroline era.
- ◆Observe Lady Mary Villiers, daughter of the Duke of Buckingham, depicted in 1637 — one of the great beauties of the Stuart court.
