Constantia Foster with Siblings
1790s
French painter Henri-Pierre Danloux captured a delightful contrast in this 1790s portrait: Constantia Foster gazes out with a calm, composed expression, while the chubby niece or nephew on her lap looks up in wide-eyed surprise. Having fled the French Revolution for London, Danloux brought French Neoclassical elegance to British society, evident in the woman's fashionable white turban and flowing shawl. The baby, dressed in white with a giant pink bow and cute red shoes, has an open-mouthed look of wonder that makes this formal painting feel surprisingly candid and alive.
- Technique
- Oil painting
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