Princess Francisca of Brazil (commonly called Dona Francisca) was a princess of the Empire of Brazil (as daughter of Emperor Dom Pedro I, who also reigned as King Dom Pedro IV of Portugal, and his first wife Maria Leopoldina of Habsburg). She became Princess of Joinville upon marrying François d’Orléans, son of the French king Louis Philippe I. The couple had three children. Through their oldest daughter, Francisca and François are the ancestors of Jean, Count of Paris, the present Orléanist pretender to the French throne. Francisca was born on August 2, 1824 in the Palace of São Cristóvão, in Rio de Janeiro, capital of the Empire of Brazil. Her full name was Francisca Carolina Joana Carlota Leopoldina Romana Xavier de Paula Micaela Gabriela Rafaela Gonzaga. There are multiple portraits of her with at least two by the legendary royal portraitist Franz Xaver Winterhalter including one currently at the Palace of Versailles. This beautiful portrait of the youthful royal in her 20s is by Dutch-French Romantic painter Ary Scheffer who had strong ties to King Louis Philippe I, having been employed as a teacher of the King's children, which allowed Scheffer to live a life of luxury for many years until the French Revolution of 1848. Dona Francisca gazes directly and calming at us with her dark hair styled in an updo and adorned with a dark veil or mantilla that drapes over her shoulders. Her skin is pale and contrasts with her regal floor-length black velvet or silk gown with a low, off-the-shoulder neckline and hints of a lighter-colored underdress visible. She is wearing a colorful sash across her midsection with decorative elements, suggesting her high social standing. She sits on a dark reddish-brown chair, only part of which is visible. The background is a deep reddish-brown patterned tapestry, with a swirling, ornate design that draws our eyes to the princess in the foreground.
"Portrait of Dona Francisca de Bragança, Princess of Joinville" by Ary Scheffer (Dutch-French) - Oil on canvas / 1843-1844 - Museu Imperial de Petrópolis (Brazil) #WomenInArt #ArtText #PortraitofaWoman #art #oilpainting #womensart #AryScheffer #Scheffer #MuseuImperialdePetrópolis #MuseuImperial
