Painting - Page 63 of Book

[viva2]

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SenaJeterNaslund wrote:
It's really strange how very different the various portraits of Antoinette look, even those made about the same time. Tell me when you have a favorite.
Sena

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marcialou wrote:
Wikipedia has a number of portraits of Marie Antoinette, including those described in the book. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marie_Antoinette

Marcia

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I wrote earlier in response to this message, but I have a new suggestion for finding a true to life portrait of Antoinette: look for one with the slightest suggestion of the famous/infamous "Habsburg lip."

It would take a very brave/foolish artist to create a truly realistic Habsburg lip especially on a young, petite, otherwise pretty Dauphine. That is assuming that she did indeed have a prominent lip. There was a very brief reference in "Abundance" to this familial characteristic, I believe.

I have seen paintings of a male Habsburg with, I assume, quite a realistic portrayal of his face. Since the portrait is still in existence, the man sitting for the portrait must have had an admirable lack of vanity.

Sena, did her children at all inherit this characteristic?

[SenaJeterNaslu…]

It's an interesting question: how much did Antoinette's children resemble her, especially in regard to the "Habsburg lip"? I don't remember reading anything about this, but we do have portraits of the children. I don't regard them as having anything special about the lip. As you note, portrait painting was not photography, and the painter certainly wanted to please the royal patron. To my eye the children look absolutely lovely in any painting I've seen of any of them. Deep in the novel I describe one of my favorites, painted by Elisabeth Vigee LeBrun.

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viva2 wrote:

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SenaJeterNaslund wrote:
It's really strange how very different the various portraits of Antoinette look, even those made about the same time. Tell me when you have a favorite.
Sena

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marcialou wrote:
Wikipedia has a number of portraits of Marie Antoinette, including those described in the book. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marie_Antoinette

Marcia

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I wrote earlier in response to this message, but I have a new suggestion for finding a true to life portrait of Antoinette: look for one with the slightest suggestion of the famous/infamous "Habsburg lip."

It would take a very brave/foolish artist to create a truly realistic Habsburg lip especially on a young, petite, otherwise pretty Dauphine. That is assuming that she did indeed have a prominent lip. There was a very brief reference in "Abundance" to this familial characteristic, I believe.

I have seen paintings of a male Habsburg with, I assume, quite a realistic portrayal of his face. Since the portrait is still in existence, the man sitting for the portrait must have had an admirable lack of vanity.

Sena, did her children at all inherit this characteristic?

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