The artwork titled “Portrait of Mary Victoria Leiter, the later Lady Curzon of Kedleston, Vicereine of India,” was created by the artist Alexandre Cabanel in 1887. Executed in oil, the painting belongs to the Academicism movement and measures 129.5 x 94 cm. Renowned for its elegance and detail, it falls within the genre of portraiture.
The artwork portrays Mary Victoria Leiter in a formal setting, seated gracefully with a serene and contemplative expression. Her posture is elegant, and her attire, a finely detailed white gown cinched at the waist with a lavender sash, evokes the refined fashion of the late 19th century. The background is somber, likely used to accentuate the subject, with a luxurious chair partly visible, enhancing the aura of nobility and sophistication. The delicate rendering of textures and fabrics, along with the soft yet poised demeanor of the subject, exemplify Cabanel’s skill in combining realism with idealized beauty, hallmark traits of Academicism.
