Portrait of Marie Thérèse de Bourbon (Paris, 1666 – Paris, 1732), Princess of Conti

Oil on canvas

73 x 59 cm.

In a gilded frame, 88 x 74 cm.

The young and attractive lady portrayed in this painting is the French princess Marie-Thérèse de Bourbon-Condé (1666 – 1732), also known as the Princess of Conti following her marriage to François Louis de Bourbon-Conti.

 

A direct member of the French royal dynasty, she was born in Paris to Henri III Jules de Bourbon-Condé (Prince of Condé) and Anne Henriette of the Palatinate.

The beautiful noblewoman is depicted here from behind, with her torso turned, as she gazes directly towards the viewer. We can admire her delicate features, characterised by a fair complexion and cheeks slightly flushed with rouge, against which her large dark eyes stand out.

Her brown, curly hair is gathered into an elaborate hairstyle typical of the French court of the time, adorned with a red ribbon tied amongst the locks, with a long, soft curl falling over her left shoulder.

The princess wears a glossy white silk gown with a low neckline, which vividly reflects the light to create soft drapery, featuring wide sleeves and a generous neckline, cinched at the waist by a light blue sash. The sleeve is delicately gathered at the shoulder by a precious dark clasp, perhaps a cameo, and ends on the arm with embroidery in the finest lace.

As was often the case with ladies of the high nobility renowned for their great beauty, she became the subject of the most celebrated portraitists of the French court between the late 17th and early 18th centuries, including Nicolas de Largillière, François de Troy, Hyacinthe Rigaud and Pierre Mignard. The latter painted her official portrait – and perhaps her best-known one – in 1691, now in the Musée de Port-Royal (Fig. 1).

To this illustrious list of names must be added that of the artist behind our painting, Nicolas Foucher (Troyes, 1653 – Paris, 1733), a leading portraitist of the French school of the late 17th and early 18th centuries.

He spent much of his career in Paris, first as a pupil and later as a collaborator of Pierre Mignard, inheriting from his master the graphic styles characterised by great grace and delicacy.

Also known for having painted the Princess, Foucher was, for example, attributed a refined three-quarter-length portrait in which the Princess wears a blue dress and holds daisies (Fig. 2). This painting is historically akin to, and mirrors, Mignard’s graphic models in both style and pose, to the extent that the two attributions have often been confused on the antiques market.

Although his works are relatively rare, they demonstrate a mastery of decorative refinement which, following in Mignard’s footsteps, stands apart from the monumental rigidity of other contemporaries (such as Charles Le Brun), favouring sinuous lines, subtle transitions and an extremely fluid, silken rendering of fabrics.

By way of comparison, we may mention the portrait of Marie de Lorraine and her younger sister Charlotte de Lorraine (fig. 3), in which the features of the former are mirror images of those in the painting under consideration: we find the same refined features and also the pose of the face, in three-quarter profile and slightly tilted.

Fouché’s subjects are in fact distinguished by an unmistakable, extremely graceful classicism, known at the time as ‘mignardise’ (literally ‘graceful’ or ‘delicate’), in which the faces feature idealised features, serene expressions and fair, smooth complexions, designed to please and ennoble the Parisian aristocracy.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

In good condition, with minor restoration and scattered retouching.

The painting is set in a rich and elaborate rectangular gilded wooden frame, finely carved with floral motifs, garlands and geometric volutes at the corners.

The work is sold accompanied by a certificate of authenticity and a descriptive iconographic sheet.

We arrange and organise the transport of purchased works, both within Italy and abroad, using professional, insured carriers.

Please contact us for any further information; we will be delighted to assist you. You can also view the painting at our gallery in Riva del Garda; we would be delighted to welcome you and show you our collection of artworks.

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