Dame a sa toilette

after Charles Eisen

National Gallery of Art

This print shows a man and woman seated on the edge of a bed in a well-decorated room. The man is leaning towards the woman, with one of his hands on her waist. He has pale skin and curled white hair, and he wears a fitted jacket, a waistcoat, knee-length breeches, and stockings. The woman sits with her body facing us and her head turned towards the man. She also has pale skin, and her hair is styled in an elaborate updo under a cap or bonnet. She is dressed in a detailed gown with lace and ruffles, a bodice with a low neckline, and a full skirt. In one hand she appears to hold a needle with a long thread connected to it, which stretches across her lap and loops around her other hand. The room is elegantly furnished with heavy drapes, a table with a mirror and a vase of flowers, and a chair or stool with cloth piled on it. A decorative oval frame with a sculpted relief or painting is on the wall behind them.