The Marquise de la Valette was American.

After the death of her banker husband, she became the second wife of Charles Jean Felix, Marquis de la Valette, who was Ambassador of France at the Vatican when the bust was modelled. She is depicted with her head turned half right, decorated with a wreath. Her eyes are looking down and she wears a low cut dress with short frilled sleeves and a necklace of six rows of beads.


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