Joséphine-Éléonore-Marie-Pauline de Galard de Brassac de Béarn (1825–1860), Princesse de Broglie

In the pictureA young woman in a pale blue satin gown stands with her arms resting on the back of a gilded chair. Black hair, a pearl necklace, a bracelet and earrings. On the chair lie white gloves and a fan. The folds and sheen of the gown, the lace and every single pearl are painted to look more real than the real thing. Her face is calm and a little sad.

BackgroundPainted in 1853, it portrays Pauline, the 28-year-old wife of the duc de Broglie. Ingres was 73, and this was one of his last portrait commissions. The princess died of tuberculosis seven years later, and her husband is said to have kept this painting behind a curtain for the rest of his life. Ingres often stretched the body to suit the beauty of line rather than anatomy, and the arms and neck in this painting are no exception.

Puzzle tipThere are five colors: the blue gown, flesh, black hair, the gilded chair and the gray wall. Start with the face and jewelry, and divide the gown by the direction of its folds. The wall pieces are almost a single color, so leave them for last. The gilded chair pieces are good clues because their pattern continues from piece to piece.