Jean-Baptiste Isabey (Nancy, 1767 - 1855, Paris)
Miniature of Marie Antoinette, about 1786
Oil , 9.5 x 6.5 x 0.5 cm (3 3/4 x 2 9/16 x 3/16 in.)
General admission for children 17 years and under is always free
This eighteenth-century miniature is a portrait of Marie-Antoinette, the queen of France.. Her large, blue eyes directly engage the viewer although her head and shoulders are angled so that only her left ear and shoulder are visible. Her nose is long and straight. It leads to rosy cheeks and unparted lips. Her unblemished complexion is fair and heavily powered, as is her blonde hair, which appears almost gray in its elaborate up-do. The hairstyle is so high that it is approximately the same dimension as her head. She is dressed in a low cut, mint green, lace trimmed gown and a crimson, ermine trimmed robe. She wears a huge, pearl drop earring and a pearl choker. The background is gray with a signature along the left edge of the painting. The portrait is framed in thin, worn, gold, octagonal metal work.
Little Salon
Commentary
Isabella Stewart Gardner kept meticulous records of many of her acquisitions. In keeping with this legacy, object information is continually being reviewed, updated, and enriched in order to give greater access to the collection.