
Portrait of Élisabeth Charlotte d'Orléans as Venus about to bind the wings of Cupid.
Pierre Gobert·1697
Historical Context
Pierre Gobert was a French court portraitist active in the late 17th and early 18th centuries, closely associated with the circle of Versailles. This 1697 portrait of Élisabeth Charlotte d'Orléans — known as Liselotte von der Pfalz — depicts her in the guise of Venus, a popular format in court portraiture that allowed noble sitters to be immortalized with mythological grandeur. Élisabeth Charlotte was the second wife of Philippe I, Duke of Orléans, and a prolific letter-writer whose correspondence provides invaluable accounts of life at Versailles.
Technical Analysis
The sitter appears in the attributes of Venus, with soft drapery and the bound wings of Cupid visible in the composition. Gobert renders silks and flesh with the smooth, luminous technique of the French court portrait tradition, placing the figure against a warm landscape backdrop.





