04 Paintings, PORTRAIT OF A LADY, The Islamic Pirate Queen – Sayyida al-Hurra, with Footnotes. #172

Jean-Étienne Liotard
The Islamic Pirate Queen – Sayyida al-Hurra
Gouache on ivory
height: 10.2 cm (4 in); width: 8.3 cm (3.2 in)
Private collection

Sayyida al Hurra (1485–14 July 1561), was a queen of Tétouan in 1515–1542 and a pirate queen in the early 16th century. She is considered to be “one of the most important female figures of the Islamic West in the modern age”…

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09 Portraits, PORTRAIT OF A LADY, Some Old Time Beauties – Maria Gunning, Countess of Coventry, with Footnotes. #195

Jean-Étienne Liotard (1702–1789)
Portrait of Maria Gunning, Countess of Coventry (1733-1760)
(also titled Portrait of a pensive woman on a sofa and Portrait of a young woman in Turkish costume sitting on a couch
Date 1749
Medium pastel on parchment
23.5 × 19 cm (9.3 × 7.5 in)
Museum of Art and History, Geneva

Maria Gunning, Countess of Coventry (1733–30 September 1760) was a famous London beauty and society hostess during the reign of King George II. Born Maria Gunning in Hemingford Grey, Huntingdonshire, Maria’s beginnings were humble. She would go on to become one of the most celebrated beauties of her day…

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