This portrait depicts Marie-Yolande de Fitz-James, the 12-year-old daughter of Édouard de Fitz-James (French soldier, politician, Peer of France, and 6th Duke of Fitz-James, who descended from the British House of Stuart, 1776-1838).
Fantin-Latour painted a series of portraits of her family members in preparation for a large group portrait that was never completed.
Although Fantin-Latour frequently exhibited with his close friend Édouard Manet and the Impressionists, he remained committed to traditional studio production and never painted outdoors.
Henri Fantin-Latour | Marie-Yolande de Fitz-James, 1867 | Cleveland Museum of Art
Henri Fantin-Latour (1836-1904), known for his portraits and flower still lifes, never shared the artistic viewpoint of his friends and contemporaries, the Impressionists.
He remained a traditional academic painter throughout his career and the style of this portrait reflects the romanticism of an earlier generation. | Cleveland Museum of Art