Robert Nanteuil (c. 1623-1678)
Portrait of Madame Bouthillier,
née Marie de Bragelogne (1590-1673)
1656, engraving on paper, first state of four [?]
13 7/8 x 10 11/16 in. (35.2 x 27.1 cm) (image size)
Gift of Mrs. Frederick Paul Keppel (C00.0802.038)

This engraving, likely meant to illustrate a thesis, represents Marie de Bragelogne shortly after the death her husband Claude Bouthillier. Clad in a mourning gown adorned with delicate bows, her forlorn expression indicates her widowhood. Yet the composition shows exuberance through the embellishments on the oval frame. The portrait of Madame Bouthillier was engraved by Nanteuil after a drawing from life. It has been suggested recently that the drawing that survives (Florence, Galleria degli Uffizi) is not the original by Nanteuil but a copy by one of his pupils, perhaps Tempesti.