Gabriel Revel 1642-1712, Portrait Of Elisabeth Girard Du Til And Her Dog

Gabriel REVEL 1642-1712, portrait of Elisabeth Girard du Til and her dog, oil on canvas, relining, suitable for woodwork, signed in the dog's collar, woodwork frame: 150x210cm
The career of the painter Gabriel Revel (1643-1712) - a native of Château-Thierry, on the borders of Champagne, and died in Dijon, capital of Burgundy - is exemplary of the centripetal and centrifugal pressures that could impact the life of an artist. provincial, sure of his talents, but also of his limits. Probably on the recommendation of Jean de La Fontaine, also of Castelthéodorician origin, Revel seized the chance to train in Paris with Charles Le Brun, of whom he became one of the devoted collaborators on the royal construction sites of the 1670s and 1680s. A second biographical break took place at the end of the 1680s, when Charles Le Brun's hold on the artistic world of Paris and Versailles gradually faded: attracted by the economic potential of Dijon, a city that Revel perhaps frequented by making the trip to Rome, the Champenois settled there permanently in the early 1690s, after the death of his famous master and mentor. It imports a classicizing academic style already somewhat outdated in Paris and Versailles, but much appreciated by the local elites, who wish to be receptive to the "Great Taste" developed under the Great King. Our painting represents Louise Elisabeth Girard du Thil, born in 1683 and died between 1705 and 1708, daughter of Louis Girard (1643-1686), lord of Thil, and Louise Marloud, Lady of Romilly-sur-Seine (born in 1643) . On September 5, 1699, she married François Chartraire (1685-1728), lord of Bierre-lès-Semur, adviser to the Parliament of Burgundy, treasurer general of the States of Burgundy. Elisabeth had four children, including descendants. On September 5, 1709, François Chartraire remarried to Bénigne de La Michodière (1691-1761), daughter of Bertrand de La Michodière, lord of Noiry, and Claude Guillaume; he had two children. Our large portrait of Revel was executed around 1699-1700, shortly after the marriage (or on this occasion) of Louise Elisabeth Girard, which is confirmed by the model's hairstyle. THANKS to Mr. Dominique BREME, director of the museum of the departmental domain of Sceaux for his expertise and his information.