- 8
Attributed to François Quesnel
Estimate
40,000 - 60,000 GBP
bidding is closed
Description
- François Quesnel
- Portrait of a French noblewoman, half-length, wearing a ruff, pearls, a cross-shaped ribbon, and holding a fan
- with an old handwritten label on the reverse of the original canvas: De[...] nn. Delbe / fe[..] M.re Si[...] / Delb[...] seigneur de / Villes[cenie?]
- oil on its original canvas
- 87.3 x 62.3 cm.; 34 3/8 x 24 1/2 in.
Provenance
Anonymous sale, Monaco, Sotheby's, 30 June 1995, lot 9 (as Attributed to François Quesnel);
With Colnaghi, London, by December 1995 (as François Quesnel, when advertised in The Burlington Magazine, vol. CXXXVII, no. 1113).
With Colnaghi, London, by December 1995 (as François Quesnel, when advertised in The Burlington Magazine, vol. CXXXVII, no. 1113).
Exhibited
New York, Colnaghi, The French Portrait: 1550-1850, 10 January - 10 February 1996 (as François Quesnel).
Literature
A. Wintermute, The French Portrait: 1550-1850, New York 1996, pp. 14 and 90, reproduced in colour p. 15, plate 2 (as François Quesnel).
Condition
The canvas is strip-lined, the paint surface is clean and the varnish is clear and even. The painting is ready to hang and requires no further work. Inspection under ultraviolet light reveals sensitively-executed spot retouchings throughout the painting to disguise any areas where the canvas weave has become more obvious. Some slightly more concentrated areas of retouching, approx. 1 by 1 cm. each, are in the sitter’s chest, proper right sleeve, and on the left margin. There is a network of lines of retouching in her proper left sleeve, the longest part of which measures approx. 6cm., and an L-shaped restoration in the upper right corner, each length measuring 3cm., both probably to old scratches or very fine tears. In overall good condition.
"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."
"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."
Catalogue Note
François Quesnel was born in Edinburgh, where his father, Pierre, was court painter to James V of Scotland. François' name first appears in French royal accounts in 1572, where he seems primarily to have been a draftsman specialising in trois crayons portraits, particularly of Henry III and members of his court. The present likeness is one of very few painted works attributed to the artist, characteristic in the fine handling of the sitter's face and hands, while her body and elements of her costume appear more schematic and stylised.