Additional texteExhibition text: The Lady With the Veil appears seductive and secretive, with her face half-hidden behind black silk and the fan she is holding. This type of portraits with masque motifs were popular in the 19th century. The portrait is of the French artist Marie Suzanne Giroust, who was married to the Swedish artist Alexander Roslin. They met in Paris in 1752. Roslin was one of the most frequently commissioned 18th-century portrait artists. His skilful rendering of textures – silk, gold, embroidery and velvet – contributed to his popularity.
Catalogue text: This portrait is one of the Nationalmuseum’s most popular paintings, but few are aware that it represents a French female artist, Marie Suzanne Giroust, who was married to Alexander Roslin. In the 18th century, theatre was an important part of society life in the cities. Dressing up, disguising oneself and playing a part was a
common form of entertainment, just as it is today when role-play games are so popular in social media. The fan which the figure is playing with expresses the seductiveness of a life devoted to enjoyment and pleasure, a characteristic of the elite culture of the period, but also one that is reflected in the consumer aesthetic
of our own day. The fan acted as an extension of body language, putting the focus on hands and gestures, those varying expressions were seen as defining a person’s identity.
Webbtext (Beskrivning): The Lady with the Veil is one of the Nationalmuseum’s best loved paintings. The woman in the portrait is partially hidden by a black silk veil. Beneath the veil she is dressed for a special occasion in white lace and pink silk. During the 18th century, theatre was an important part of the life of the upper classes. Dressing up, disguising oneself and playing dramatic roles was a common pastime. The Lady with the Veil shows how one could dress up à la bolonaise – in the style of Bologna.
The woman is smiling in a tempting fashion yet she seems to want to remain secretive. She only shows part of herself. There are many anonymous portraits of women in collections around the world. Often they have been part of a pair of portraits of man and wife – so called pendant portraits. It is not unusual for such portraits to have become separated over the years. And since the influence of the women has been underestimated in writing the history of art, their names and identities have often been forgotten. For this reason, many of Roslin’s portraits now bear the title “Unknown Woman”. But the Lady with the veil is not one of these forgotten women. For she was Alexander Roslin’s wife: the French portrait artist Marie Suzanne Giroust.
Fans were not just a practical item for social gatherings. Fans could also be used for sending secret messages. There were numerous ways of holding, opening and closing fans. Each way meant something specific. The lady with the veil has folded her fan and is using it to stroke her cheek. This might mean: I love you! It was once the artist himself who received this message while he was painting his wife. Nowadays we are the recipients as we regard the painting and perhaps we let ourselves be seduced by the veiled woman…
