Henri Gascard, Portrait of Lady Gascard, 1690, Oil on Canvas

Details

Description

Workshop of pierre mignard (1612 - 1695)
attributable to henri gascard (paris 1635 - rome 1701)

portrait of françoise-athénaïs, marquise … Read more Workshop of pierre mignard (1612 - 1695)
attributable to henri gascard (paris 1635 - rome 1701)

portrait of françoise-athénaïs, marquise de montespan (1640-1707), mistress of louis xiv of france

oil on canvas

79 x 86 cm - framed 91 x 98 cm.

the painting portrays françoise-athénaïs de rochechouart de mortemart, marquise de montespan (lussac-les-châteaux, 1640 – bourbon-l'archambault, 1707), a french noblewoman better known as madame de montespan, the most famous mistress of king louis xiv of france.

a member of one of the oldest and most noble families in france, the house of rochechouart, madame de montespan was called by some "the true queen of france" during her love affair with louis xiv of france due to the pervasiveness of her influence at court during that period.

she was one of the most emblematic and captivating figures of the sun king's court, celebrated by her contemporaries as a woman of extraordinary beauty: with her blond hair, blue eyes, and crimson lips, she was the perfect embodiment of beauty according to the canons of the time.

next to her is cupid, the god of love, on a cloud, ready to shoot his arrow at her, thus alluding to his amorous control over louis xiv between 1667 and 1680.

the practice of portraying royal mistresses as deities was also a way to legitimize their influence at court, elevating them to icons of fashion and eternal beauty.

the portrait, in particular, draws on a composition created by the workshop of pierre mignard and now in versailles (musée national des châteaux de versailles et de trianon), which depicts madame de montespan as a venus, flanked by her young son cupid.

the noblewoman is portrayed reclining, elegantly dressed in a lace-trimmed silk robe, adorned with pearls in her hair and around her neck, and stylistically reflects the figurative culture of the french grand secévreux, characterized by a baroque-style classicism aimed at exalting the court of the sun king.

pierre mignard is known for having portrayed madame de montespan on several occasions, often with allegorical themes.

there are works attributed to her workshop that show montespan crowned by cupid, emphasizing her "power" and influential beauty at court.

therefore, numerous portraits were dedicated to her by the greatest painters of the time, reflecting her position as the "absolute" favorite at the court of louis xiv, celebrating her legendary beauty and opulent taste, in which she was often portrayed as a classical deity. Famous examples include the portrait by charles beaubrun depicting her as diana the huntress, or the painting in the pitti palace in florence, of french origin, which also depicts her as diana the huntress, surrounded by erotics and dogs, and finally the portrait of montespan as iris by louis elle, also at versailles.

returning to our canvas, it is likely a work from the workshop of pierre mignard himself, generally dated to the last quarter of the 17th century. Specifically, in our opinion, it would be plausible to associate it with henri gascard (1635–1701), mignard's student and collaborator, from whom he learned the elegant, idealized style typical of french classicism of the period.

a highly successful french portraitist in the 17th century, he often worked "in the manner of" or as a follower of mignard, and many 17th-century works are now the subject of debate regarding the attribution of the two artists or their respective workshops.

additional information:

the painting is sold complete with a beautiful gilded frame and comes with a certificate of authenticity and an iconographic. This piece is attributed to the mentioned designer/maker. It has no attribution mark and no
official proof of authenticity,
however it is well documented in design history. I take full responsibility for any authenticity



issues arising from misattribution See less