Why it matters
Madame Moitessier sits in a flowered silk dress, her hand touching her cheek, reflected in a mirror behind her. Ingres initially refused the commission but agreed after meeting her.
Did you know?
- The pose was taken from a fresco of Hercules and Telephus from Herculaneum.
- Another portrait of her standing is in Washington.
- She married a rich banker twice her age in 1842.
Based on the Wikipedia article Portrait of Madame Moitessier (CC BY-SA 4.0).
