A Woman With A Dog

The model's costume recalls the court dress in which Rubens depicted Marie de Medicis (1573-1642), queen of France, in the series of famous paintings in the Musee du Louvre. She has recently been identified as Marie Emilie Coignet de Courson (1727-1806). Fragonard's canvas is broadly brushed, with exceptional virtuosity and panache. There is humor in the contrast between the ample proportions of the lady and the small size of her lapdog; the curl of his silky tail echoes her gray ringlets. Her pearls are too large to have been real.