This exquisite portrait is by French artist Louis Joseph Watteau who was known as the Watteau of Lille because he was active in the city of Lille along the Deûle river in French Flanders. He played a decisive role in the foundation of what would become the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Lille, opened in 1803, by producing the first ever inventory of paintings confiscated by the state during the French Revolution. He depicts a slender beautiful young woman with fair skin and dark brown hair styled in a softly waved manner, pulled back from her face and mostly concealed under an elaborate hat that perfectly matches her outfit. Her facial features are delicate with large, dark brown eyes, a straight nose, and a small, gently curved mouth. Her expression is somewhat serene, but with a hint of cheekiness although her cheeks show a hint of rosy blush and her lips are bright red. It is a strikingly eye-catching costume with her large and wide-brimmed hat decorated with a geometric pattern of pink, blue, and gold triangles. A white ribbon or fabric trim borders the hat, and long white ribbons trail down from the back. Her long-sleeved dress matches the colors and geometric pattern of her hat and features a series of decorative buttons extending from the high neckline to the waist area. She wears a long clean white glove on her right hand holding a dark-colored party mask In the nook of her left elbow. The woman is officially unidentified, but some believe it is opera singer Teresa Imer (aka Teresa Cornelys). In the middle of the 18th century, she was the first woman to lead the Theater van het Tapissierspand, the opera of Antwerp. She enjoyed an adventurous life that took her to many major European cities, from Venice and Vienna to Paris and London. She famously had numerous lovers, including Casanova -- yep, that Casanova -- who was the father of her daughter in 1754.

Un Domino (aka Young Woman with Mask) by Watteau de Lille (aka Louis Joseph Watteau, French) - Oil on canvas / c. 1760-1780 - Museum Vleeshuis (Antwerp, Belgium) #womeninart #art #WatteaudeLille #Watteau #LouisJosephWatteau #artwork #womensart #portraitofawoman #MuseumVleeshuis #KlankvandeStad