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Circa 1720, French School, The Bath of Venus, Oil on canvas

Description
The artist has incorporated a portrait of a noble lady into a mythological scene, ‘The Bath of Venus’. Maidservants wash the goddess of love and beauty, and one of them offers a mirror in which Venus can admire herself. The pose of the goddess seems to be inspired by a painting that Titian painted around 1555 (https://www.nga.gov/collection/art-object-page.41.html) and of which a reproduction print was made by Lucas Vorsterman in the 17th century (https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/image/832663001). The private moment takes place in a southern pastoral landscape. The fountain with the putto riding a dolphin refers to Gian Lorenzo Bernini’s Triton fountain in Rome (https://nl.pinterest.com/pin/428827195755147256/), dating from 1642-1643.

The pose of the putto is similar to that of Triton, and the resemblance to the dolphins by Bernini speaks for itself. But who is the portrayed lady who is looking at the viewer? A possible candidate is Charlotte Aglaé of Orléans, Mademoiselle de Valois (1700-1761), Duchess of Modena (https://www.rct.uk/collection/407214/charlotte-aglaeacute-of-orleacuteans-mademoiselle-de-valois-1700-1761) . She was the daughter of Philippe II, Duke of Orléans and Françoise-Marie de Bourbon. IN 1720 she married Prince Francesco d’Este, the future Duke of Modena. Was the painting made on the occasion of their marriage?