Frances Teresa Stuart (1647-1702), hertogin van Richmond en Lennox, in travestie

Cooper employed the delicate brushwork and layered pigment application characteristic of miniature painting on parchment. The fine rendering of lace, fabric folds, and hair demonstrates his mastery of minute detail, while subtle tonal modeling creates a three‑dimensional effect within the limited surface.

Created when Cooper was in his early twenties, the portrait was likely commissioned by the duchess’s family or court patronage. The work remained in private collections for centuries before entering a museum holding of English portrait miniatures, where it is now catalogued as an exemplar of Cooper’s early output.

During the 1660s, English miniature painting flourished as a means of personal commemoration and diplomatic exchange. Cooper, younger brother of the Scottish painter Alexander Cooper, benefited from a family network of artists and patrons, positioning him among the leading portrait miniaturists of the Restoration court.