The Comtesse d’Egmont Pignatelli in Spanish Costume
- Janet M. Torpy, MD
Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text.
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Alexander Roslin (1718-1793), The Comtesse d’Egmont Pignatelli in Spanish Costume, 1763, Swedish. Oil on canvas. 136.21 × 103.19 cm (canvas); 180.34 × 142.24 × 12.7 cm (outer frame). Courtesy of The Minneapolis Institute of Arts (http://www.artsmia.org/), Minneapolis, Minnesota; the John R. Van Derlip Trust Fund, 2006.33.
Sophie Jeanne Septimanie du Plessis probably never lifted a finger to dress herself, much less to dust a piece of furniture or to sweep a floor. As the daughter of the Duc de Richelieu—one of the most powerful men at the French royal court—Septimanie's job was to entertain suitors, charm socially influential women, be pretty and decorative, and uphold the honor of her family by marrying advantageously. All accounts of Septimanie's life agree that she performed her duties well: her portrait The Comtesse d’Egmont Pignatelli in Spanish Costume (cover) by Alexander Roslin (1718-1793), executed at the height of her social prowess, still glows with …
