Ermine and Pearls

A princess by birth, Sophie Luise grew up in a large (and inevitably busy) household with seventeen siblings and half-siblings. Born in 1642, her parents were Eberhard III, Duke of Württemberg and the more nobly-born Anna Katharina Dorothea von Salm-Kyrburg.

Given her status and her beauty, it is surprising that Sophie Luise did not marry until she was twenty-nine. Her choice of husband was the recently widowed Christian Ernst, Margrave of Brandenburg-Bayreuth. The couple had six children though only three survived childhood.

Sophie Luise died in October 1702 in her sixtieth year. Her husband quickly found himself a third wife though there were no additional children.

Painted on card, this portrait bears similarity to the circa 1680 published image of Sophie Luise by the German Baroque engraver Philipp Kilian (1628-1693) for which the original artist is unknown (as shown for information only). She wears an ermine trimmed dress accessorized with jewels and large pearls as befits her social status.

The portrait is set in the original silver frame with reeding around the sides.