3-044-008 - Heritage Art/Heritage Images

The Duchess of Chaulnes as a Gardener in an Allée, 1771. Additional Info: In this poignant portrait, Louis Carmontelle depicted Marie d'Albert de Luynes taking up the vogue for gardening that Queen Marie Antoinette had popularized among noble women. Gently raking in a verdant allée or garden path, Marie probably posed during a social event at the Parisian court of the duc d'Orléans. At the duke's parties, master of ceremonies Louis Carmontelle entertained guests by drawing on-the-spot portraits. Marie's wistful expression may reflect her restricted opportunities for amusement. Married at fourteen, her husband rejected her before consummating the marriage. Condemned to lifelong virginity, Marie began dressing only in white.