Artwork

Queen Marie Thérèse of France

Queen Marie Thérèse of France, by Unknown, 1666
Queen Marie Thérèse of France, by Unknown, 1666

Queen Marie Thérèse of France is a photography by Unknown. It dates from 1666 and is held in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst. Created around 1666 by the artist known as 925_person, this portrait depicts a woman in elaborate seventeenth‑century attire.

About this work

Overview

Created around 1666 by the artist known as 925_person, this portrait depicts a woman in elaborate seventeenth‑century attire. The image is preserved in the collection of the Museum of Ethnography and is presented as a black‑and‑white photograph of an original work.

Subject & Meaning

The sitter is identified as Queen Marie Thérèse of France, shown in a formal pose typical of royal portraiture. She wears a high lace collar, a jeweled bodice, and a patterned skirt, while her hair is neatly gathered. The composition, with her hand holding a small object and the other resting on a cushion, conveys dignity and courtly presence.

Technique & Style

The photograph captures dramatic chiaroscuro lighting, casting deep shadows across the figure’s face and garments and highlighting the texture of lace and jewelry. The dark, swirling curtain backdrop and the faint glimpse of a landscape through a window add depth and a sense of staged interior space.

History & Provenance

The work dates to the mid‑1660s, a period when portraiture served to reinforce monarchical authority. It entered the Museum of Ethnography’s holdings at an unspecified date, where it remains part of the institution’s visual documentation of European royal iconography.

Artist & collection

Artist

Unknown

entity whose identity is not known