Portrait of a lady, three-quarter-length, traditionally identified as Louise Bernardine de Durfort, Duchess of Duras (1678-1747), with Cupid and a page, by a fountain

Regarded as one of the foremost portrait painters of his day, Pierre Gobert enjoyed enormous success as a portraitist to the courts of both Louis XIV and Philippe d'Orléans. The present sitter can perhaps be identified as Louise Bernardine de Durfort, Duchess of Duras (1678-1747), owing to an identifying inscription on the canvas of a secondary version of the composition by an anonymous artist, which was offered at Tajan, Paris, on 25 October 2002, lot 3. Louise Bernardine was the wife of Jacques-Henri de Durfort, Duke of Duras (1625-1704), who served as a general in the army of Louis XIV, and was awarded the title of Marshal of France for his exceptional achievements on the field of battle. The elaborate hairstyle of the sitter dates this portrait to circa 1695-1700, which would accord with the dates of Louise Bernardine de Durfort, who would have been between 17 and 22 years old at the time.