James Tissot
French, 1836-1902
Portrait of the Marquise de Miramon, née Thérèse Feuillant, 1866
Oil on canvas
Exhibited at the 1867 Paris world's fair, this portrait captures the Marquise de Miramon in an attitude of casual elegance. Leaning on the mantel of a room at her husband's château in the Auvergne region of France, she has removed one glove. A Japanese screen and other decorative objects fashionable during the Second Empire surround her. Tissot was celebrated for his representation of women's clothing, and he painted the Marquise's pink peignoir (housecoat) with particular skill. The artist conveyed his satisfaction with the composition in a letter (now in the collection of the Getty Research Institute) he wrote to the Marquis requesting this painting for the world's fair.
