Madame Moitessier

Meet Madame Moitessier, a woman so magnificent it took a notoriously particular painter twelve years to declare her portrait finished. Commissioned in 1844 to celebrate her marriage to a wealthy banker, this painting was a marathon, not a sprint. The project outlasted the artist's initial refusal to even take the job, the death of his wife, a change in dress fashions, and the sitter's own pregnancy. At one point, her young daughter was meant to be included but was painted out after proving too fidgety—a relatable historical tidbit for any parent. Our leading lady is the picture of Second Empire luxury, from her ridiculously expensive floral silk dress to the jewels dripping from her arms. But don't let the splendor fool you; her pose isn't one of casual contemplation. It's lifted directly from a Roman fresco of the goddess of Arcadia. This classical allusion was a slick move, framing the wife of a "new money" banker as a timeless, cultured icon. Look closely at the mirror behind her. It doesn't reflect the room but offers another, more somber profile of the Madame, a clever trick to give you two portraits for the price of one. Every detail here, from the curve of her impossibly smooth shoulders to her slightly unnatural hand, is meticulously crafted. The result is a woman who is less a person and more a monument to her own fabulousness. And after a twelve-year wait, you'd expect nothing less.