This large scale portrait depicting a young girl in an Arcadian setting is an exquisite example of mid-17th century portraiture. The sitter is Louise de Lévis and the artist has portrayed her wearing classical garments and placing her in an Italianate setting complete with dense woods and a fountain with a putto, thereby drawing from the tradition of pastoral literature, which by the time the portrait was painted was extremely popular. All educated individuals in the 17th century were familiar with Latin and Greek pastoral poetry, and the mythological world of Arcady was an idyll that the ladies and gentlemen of the Court could inhabit in the guise of shepherds and shepherdesses. The pastoral tradition in literature and plays had been embraced by an aristocratic class since classical times. Life in the country was perceived as peaceful, contemplative and free of worry of hardships, a time to pursue pleasure. To be painted in such a manner created a tangible expression of power and ...