Portrait Of A Lady As Diana The Huntress - 1st Half Of The 19th Century (1828)

Portrait of a quality lady dressed in antique style and represented as Diana the Huntress in a landscape (a forest), accompanied by her dogs and her bow, and wearing a crescent moon on her forehead.
French school from the first half of the 19th century, signed at the back in pencil on the stretcher (not deciphered), and dated "October 7, 1828"
Oil on canvas in 8F format (46 cm x 38 cm), nicely framed in a period gilded stucco frame (61 cm x 53 cm)
Painting on its original canvas, in very good condition, with just an old restoration at the bottom of the back of the canvas and some repainting in the dark decor of the painting
The verticality of the composition, combined with the elegance of the pose and the refinement of the colors and drapes, reflects the influence of English portraiture beyond the French school.

These antique representations, which have been readily attributed to ladies since the Renaissance, are likely to exalt beauty and character. This type of portrait, which associates with the truth the features of a very real person, the attributes of a divinity, then enjoyed great popularity. The representation of Diana has been recurrent in art since Antiquity and many ladies of quality have identified with this goddess. From the 16th century, numerous paintings depict favorites or ladies of the court portrayed as Diana the Huntress. This fashion persisted until the 19th century, reaching its peak in the 18th century.
18th century portraits most often represent the lady of quality as Diana in a wild landscape (often a forest), accompanied by animals and armed with a bow. The crescent moon is also often present, as in the painting presented here.