18thC Antique Portrait Painting Of An Aristocratic Woman - Continental Painting For Sale

Early 18th-Century Portrait of a Noble Lady with the Order of the Perfect UnionFrench School, c. 1735–1760 (attributed)Oil on canvas, 30 x 24 in. (unframed)A graceful and finely executed early 18th-century portrait depicting a noblewoman holding a book, rendered with all the elegance associated with continental court portraiture of the period. While traditionally attributed to the French school, the sitter’s attire provides a compelling link to the Scandinavian courts: prominently displayed on her gown is the badge of the Order of the Perfect Union (Ordre de l’Union Parfaite), a chivalric order founded in 1732 by Queen Consort Sophie Magdalene of Denmark and Norway and bestowed upon select ladies and gentlemen of distinction until 1770.This rare inclusion of the order’s insignia suggests the sitter may have been a lady-in-waiting, court favorite, or otherwise notable figure within the Danish or Norwegian royal household. Her serene expression, refined costume, and the symbolic book she holds all contribute to the portrait’s sense of intellect, status, and cultivated dignity.Condition: Exhibits age-consistent craquelure throughout with small, scattered areas of minor paint loss. Canvas remains stable. Offered unframed. Artwork laid on newer canvas (you and see on the very edge of the canvas where the painting was cut) and stretcher (non original).