A Duchess (The Blue Dress)

A young woman, still wearing her cape and one glove, reflects on the contents of a hastily opened letter. Her rings indicate she is married and the calling cards on the table suggest she receives many visitors. Her sumptuous velvet dress and eclectic surroundings are the height of fashion, perhaps excessively so. The original title is sometimes interpreted colloquially-the French words faire la duchesse described "a woman who puts on airs." The woman's status, however, is ambiguous, inviting viewers to invent their own story.

Credit: Acquired by Sterling and Francine Clark before 1955