The "Semaine du Dessin" in Paris galleries (3)

22/3/24 - Paris - Art market She was portrayed by the most sought-after portraitists of the court, but because one is never as well flattered as by oneself, the Duchess of Montpensier was not content with these brush effigies; she took up the pen to portray herself: "My nose is large and aquiline, my mouth neither large nor small, but shaped and in a very pleasant manner; my lips are ruddy, my teeth not beautiful, but not horrible either; my eyes are blue, neither large nor small, but brilliant, soft and proud like my face. I look tall without being glorious".

1. Simon Vouet (1599-1649)
Bust Portrait of Anne-Marie-Louise d’Orléans (1627-1693),
Duchess of Montpensier known as the Grande Mademoiselle
Black chalk and pastel - 27.5 x 20.5 cm
Paris, Nicolas Schwed
Photo: Nicolas Schwed

See the image in its page

Simon Vouet used neither brush nor pen to capture his features on a sheet exhibited at Nicolas Schwed (ill. 1): this work is part of the series of portraits of the court that the artist produced in pastel at the request of the king. For a long time, this work was known only through Félibien’s description of it. But several pastels have re-emerged in recent years. Barbara Brejon de Lavergnée published some of them in Burlington Magazine in November 1982; more recently, three portraits were sold by Artcurial in 2018 (see the news item of 3/2/18, the Louvre and the British Museum each acquired one in 2020 (see the news items of 27/5/20 and 30/12/20), and the Cleveland Museum in 2021 (see the news item of 4/10/21).

2. Giovanni Battista Tiepolo (1696-1770)
A Man Milking a Cow
Black chalk, pen and brown ink, brown wash - 37.1 x 29.6 cm
Paris, Nicolas Schwed
Photo: Nicolas Schwed

See the image in its page

Among the other sheets on display is a cow by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo (ill. 2). It is milked by a man as three women seated in the background look on. The composition was repeated several times by Giandomenico Tiepolo…