Marie Rinteau, called Mademoiselle de Verrières - François Hubert Drouais

A refined 1767 portrait by François Hubert Drouais depicting the actress Marie Rinteau in elegant silk attire.

François Hubert Drouais, a favoured portraitist of the French aristocracy during the reign of Louis XV, painted this work in 1767. The subject is Marie Rinteau, an actress known by the stage name Mademoiselle de Verrières. She was a prominent figure in Parisian society, and Drouais captures her with the refined artifice characteristic of the Rococo period.

The composition presents the sitter in a seated pose, her gaze directed towards the viewer with a composed expression. She wears a gown of pale, shimmering silk, adorned with delicate lace trim and pink ribbon bows. Her hair is styled in a high, powdered coiffure, decorated with pearls and feathers, which reflects the fashion of the mid-eighteenth century. A black ribbon choker encircles her neck, providing a sharp contrast to the lighter tones of her dress and skin.

In her hands, she holds a sheet of music, suggesting her involvement in the performing arts. To her side, a small table is draped with a white cloth, adding to the domestic yet staged quality of the interior setting. Drouais employs a soft, diffused light that models the features of the sitter and the textures of her clothing. The background remains dark and indistinct, ensuring the focus stays entirely on the figure. This portrait demonstrates the artist's ability to render fine fabrics and textures, a skill that earned him commissions from the royal family and the elite of the French court. The work provides a glimpse into the aesthetic preferences of the era, where elegance and personal presentation were central to social identity.