Artists Images and the Self-descriptions of Elisabeth Charlotte, Duchess of Orleans (1652-1722), the Second Madame

Elisabeth Charlotte, Duchess of Orleans (1655-1722), the Palatine princess who became the second wife of Monsieur and the mother of the Regent, is well known for the thousands of letters she wrote about her life at the court of Louis XIV and during the Regency. She is further defined for many by Rigaud's sumptuous court portrait of her in old age. This is the first comprehensive study of her physical image and her self-image, using all available evidence, both visual and verbal.