Jean-Baptiste Perronneau

Charles Petit de Meurville;
sale, Paris, Drouot, 26-28 May 1904, lot 45;
M. André, Marseille;
David-Weill Collection, Neuilly, by 1927, 
by whom sold, London, Sotheby's, 10 June 1959, lot 117 (as the Marquise d'Anglure),
acquired at the sale by Pierre Dormeuil,
thence by descent to the present owners

Paris, Galerie Charpentier, Exposition des Pastels français des XVII^e et XVIII^e Siècles, 1927, no. 113

L. Brieger, Das Pastell: seine Geschichte und seine Meister, Berlin 1921, p. 95, illustrated (as anonymous sitter);
L. Vaillat and P. Ratouis de Limay, Jean-Baptiste Perronneau, sa vie et son oeuvre, 2nd edition, Paris/Brussels 1923, pp. 190, 237;
G. Henriot, 'La collection David-Weill', L'Amour de l'art, 1925, VI/1 p. 11 (as "d'une grâce inexprimable");
idem., Collection David Weill, tableaux, pastels, dessins, Paris 1926-28, vol. II, p. 51;
E. Dacier and P. Ratouis de Limay, Pastels Français des XVII^e et XVIII^e Siècles, Paris 1927, p. 96, no. 90, pl. LXIV (commemorative catalogue of the exhibition, with different numbering);
review of this exhibition, in Le Gaulois Artistique, 2 June 1927, p. 144, reproduced;
N. Jeffares, Dictionary of pastellists before 1800, London 2006, p. 397 (as ?Mme. d'Anglure);
Le Port des Lumières: 1. La peinture à Bordeaux 1750-1800, exhib. cat., Bordeaux, Galerie des Beaux-Arts, 1989, p. 128, reproduced

Please note that this pastel has not been viewed out of its frame. Pastel on vellum. There is light scattered foxing along the right margin. There is a tiny hole located lower left in the sitter's garment. There is a small area of abrasion in the upper right corner where there are also minor losses to the medium. Overall colours are strong and condition fairly good.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Dominique d'Arnoult, who will include this pastel in her forthcoming catalogue raisonné, believes the suggested identification of the sitter is without foundation. 

Another version of this portrait is in the Fine Art Museums of San Francisco (inv. 1996.88).  That pastel, which was sold from the collection of Jacques de Bryas in Paris in 1905¹, is slightly larger, and the sitter has a subtly different hairstyle.  This, together with stylistic considerations, leads Neil Jeffares to conclude that the present work is rather earlier, dating from the 1750s, while the San Francisco version must have been made in the later 1760s. 

In terms of quality, this ranks among Perronneau's best works, with a lightness of touch and sure characterisation that few of his contemporaries could match.

1.  Sale, Paris, 6 February 1905, lot 17;  we are grateful to Neil Jeffares for pointing out that the Bordeaux 1989 exhibition catalogue (loc. cit.) appears to conflate the provenance of the two versions, stating that de Meurville sold his pastel to de Bryas.