Geneva, Oct. 14 -- A celebrated portrait long believed to depict Marie Antoinette has now been identified as that of her elder sister, Maria Carolina, according to new research.
The artwork, painted by Swiss artist Jean Etienne Liotard, has historically shaped scholars' perceptions of the French queen's early years.
Professor Catriona Seth of the University of Oxford contends that the piece more accurately represents Maria Carolina, who later ascended as Queen of Naples.
In the drawing previously thought to depict Marie Antoinette, she is seven years old, holding a shuttle used for weaving and staring directly at the viewer with a determined look in her eyes, reports BBC.
This had been interpreted by academics as demonstrating that the ...