Artwork

Portrait of Elisabeth-Sophie-Constance de Lowendhal, Countess of Turpin de Crissé

Portrait of Elisabeth-Sophie-Constance de Lowendhal, Countess of Turpin de Crissé is an oil painting by the Rococo painting artist Jean Honoré Fragonard. It dates from 1790 and is held in the collection of the São Paulo Museum of Art.

About this work

If you're interested in learning more about the artist who created this portrait, you might want to look up Jean Honoré Fragonard.

This portrait features a woman with fair skin and light-colored hair styled in an updo. She wears a brown dress with a low neckline, and her right hand is raised near her chest. The background is dark, which helps the subject stand out.

The woman's attire and hairstyle suggest that the portrait was painted in the 18th century. The artist's use of oil paint and the subject's elegant appearance also support this time period.

If you're interested in learning more about the artist who created this portrait, you might want to look up Jean Honoré Fragonard.

Overview

Jean‑Honoré Fragonard’s oil portrait, executed in 1790, presents Elisabeth‑Sophie‑Constance de Lowendhal, who bore the title Countess of Turpin de Crissé. The work is part of the collection of the São Paulo Museum of Art, where it is displayed among the museum’s European paintings.

Subject & Meaning

The sitter appears with a pale complexion and light hair gathered into an elegant up‑do, dressed in a brown gown with a modestly low neckline. Her right hand rests near her chest, a pose that conveys a quiet confidence typical of aristocratic portraiture in the late eighteenth century.

Technique & Style

Fragonard employs the rich, layered qualities of oil paint to render the textures of fabric and skin, while a dark, indistinct background isolates the figure, enhancing the contrast between light and shadow. The brushwork balances refined detail in the face with broader, more fluid strokes in the surrounding space.

History & Provenance

Created near the end of Fragonard’s career, the portrait entered the São Paulo Museum of Art’s holdings through acquisition in the twentieth century, though the precise path from the French aristocratic family to Brazil remains undocumented in public records.