19th century FRENCH SCHOOL Portrait of a nun wearing... Lot 218

19th century FRENCH SCHOOL Portrait of a nun wearing a cornette On its original canvas 73.5 x 59 cm Damage and missing parts No frame The cornette, a white cloth headdress, was considered a distinctive garment by the Daughters of Charity, a Roman Catholic society of apostolic life founded by Saint Louise de Marillac and Saint Vincent de Paul in the 17th century. The latter wanted the sisters of this congregation to resemble ordinary middle-class women as much as possible in their clothing, and this was also achieved by wearing this headdress. The model is shown here next to a bottle of Triple orange blossom water. As part of their activities, nuns belonging to the Daughters of Charity were often involved in caring for the sick. Triple orange blossom water could be used in their care practices, due to its soothing properties and potential use in certain treatments. It could have been used for medicinal purposes or to bring comfort to the sick as a gentle perfume.