Portret van Marie-Thérèse Louise de Savoye-Carignano in ovaal c. 1788 - 1805

Here we see Jean Baptiste Vérité's monochrome print, "Portret van Marie-Thérèse Louise de Savoye-Carignano in ovaal". Its small scale invites an intimate viewing experience, drawing us into the delicate rendering of the subject. The oval format immediately frames and contains our gaze. Within this shape, Vérité masterfully employs the contrast of light and shadow to model the Princess’s features, creating an interplay that animates her likeness. The varying densities of lines—a fundamental element—define form, texture and space. Notice how the intricate lines that shape her dress give way to a smoother complexion, highlighting the almost ethereal quality of her face. The formal elements of the oval frame and the Princess’s ethereal representation create a structured image, but this construction should not suggest fixed meaning. Instead, the print invites us to consider the interplay between the represented and the real, the public and private, the historical and the aesthetic. By investigating these visual strategies, we see how Vérité offers not just a portrait but also a lens through which to consider the very act of representation.