Jean-Baptiste Isabey
A young Lady, leaning on a plinth, wearing white dress with blue polka dots, c. 1795
Watercolour on ivory
3 1/4 x 3 inches 8.2 x 7.5cms Oval,
Philip Mould & Co.
To view all current artworks for sale visit philipmould.com This extraordinarily large, early work by Isabey heralds the beginning of his long and successful career. He is probably the...
To view all current artworks for sale visit philipmould.com
This extraordinarily large, early work by Isabey heralds the beginning of his long and successful career. He is probably the most famous of all French miniaturists, linked to the court initially through his training with Francois Dumont, miniaturist to Marie Antoinette. His training with Jacques-Louis David channelled his natural talent and like most great artists his works evolved in distinctive phases. This portrait combines elements from Isabey’s distinctive early style, but also looks forward to his later works. Dating from circa 1795, it has much in common with the miniature of Mademoiselle de Salienne in the Louvre, Paris (30744). The soft treatment of the face, the dark background and the complex composition all relate to Isabey’s portraits of this date, but the swirl of fabric looping as though caught by a breeze looks forward to his later portraits of women, their faces shrouded in romantic swirls of chiffon.
Isabey married was shortly before this miniature was painted to Jeanne Laurice de Salienne. His impressive list of patrons began with Queen Marie Antoinette, whom he painted around the same time as this portrait of an unknown lady, but he soon lost his aristocratic clientele at the outbreak of the Revolution. David introduced him to new patrons – members of the New Regime – and he is now best known for his portrait miniatures of Napoleon, Josephine and their extended families – his affectionate nickname was “the little court painter” or “the painter of Kings”. He has left a legacy of beautiful and intimate images of himself and his family – his most famous of these – La Barque d’Isabey – being engraved and shown at the Salon of 1820.
Under the Directoire he attended the Salons of Mme Tallien, Mme de Stael and Mme Récamier. In 1805 he became first master of the Empress, extending his position to become the drawing master to Hortense and Eugène de Beauharnais. His fame was at its height during this time and he involved himself with designs for opera stage sets, organizing great feasts for the Emperor and was eventually the master planner for Naopoleon’s the coronation ceremony.
Later in his life, Napoleon III awarded Isabey a pension and the cross of commander of the Legion of Honor. He died in Paris in 1855.
This extraordinarily large, early work by Isabey heralds the beginning of his long and successful career. He is probably the most famous of all French miniaturists, linked to the court initially through his training with Francois Dumont, miniaturist to Marie Antoinette. His training with Jacques-Louis David channelled his natural talent and like most great artists his works evolved in distinctive phases. This portrait combines elements from Isabey’s distinctive early style, but also looks forward to his later works. Dating from circa 1795, it has much in common with the miniature of Mademoiselle de Salienne in the Louvre, Paris (30744). The soft treatment of the face, the dark background and the complex composition all relate to Isabey’s portraits of this date, but the swirl of fabric looping as though caught by a breeze looks forward to his later portraits of women, their faces shrouded in romantic swirls of chiffon.
Isabey married was shortly before this miniature was painted to Jeanne Laurice de Salienne. His impressive list of patrons began with Queen Marie Antoinette, whom he painted around the same time as this portrait of an unknown lady, but he soon lost his aristocratic clientele at the outbreak of the Revolution. David introduced him to new patrons – members of the New Regime – and he is now best known for his portrait miniatures of Napoleon, Josephine and their extended families – his affectionate nickname was “the little court painter” or “the painter of Kings”. He has left a legacy of beautiful and intimate images of himself and his family – his most famous of these – La Barque d’Isabey – being engraved and shown at the Salon of 1820.
Under the Directoire he attended the Salons of Mme Tallien, Mme de Stael and Mme Récamier. In 1805 he became first master of the Empress, extending his position to become the drawing master to Hortense and Eugène de Beauharnais. His fame was at its height during this time and he involved himself with designs for opera stage sets, organizing great feasts for the Emperor and was eventually the master planner for Naopoleon’s the coronation ceremony.
Later in his life, Napoleon III awarded Isabey a pension and the cross of commander of the Legion of Honor. He died in Paris in 1855.
Provenance
Private Collection1
of
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