Portrait of Madame de Courcelles at Her Toilette

The oval format of this portrait was a frequent choice by Greuze when painting half length figures; attention could be concentrated on the face and hands and it served to compliment the curves of the human figure. Of Mme de Courcelles herself we know nothing; although an ancient family, its members at this date seem not to have held any positions of importance in the civil or military service of the Crown.