Portrait Of The Duchess Of La Vallière. Pierre Mignard And Workshop (1612-1695)

Oil on canvas, oval shape Presented in a gilded wooden frame topped with a ribbon pediment. Total dimensions: 107 x 82 cm. The canvas alone: 80 x 62 cm This very elegant portrait represents the young Duchess Louise de La Vallière holding a lemon (or a citron). She is dressed in a blue velvet dress decorated with jewels, fine pearls and precious stones in closed settings. Lit from the front, it stands out against a dark background which allows the character to be highlighted. "In Flemish, then Dutch, painting of the 17th century, the lemon was the ornament of the sumptuous tables of still lifes, whole or delicately peeled. More than a symbol of immortality, it became that of the passing of time and the vanity of earthly goods. For the record, the lemon tree, which can flower throughout the year, is a symbol of perfect union and eternal love. It would have the virtue of giving the desire to share one's feelings in writing! Certainly in reference to the invisible ink with lemon juice. With its dynamic yellow and rough peel, the lemon allows for contrasts of materials in painted compositions. **Our painting is similar to a portrait painted by Mignard and currently at the Château de Versailles. It represents Louise La Lavallière and her children, I attach a detailed photo. Louise de la Vallière was an aristocrat of the Grand Siècle, and was the first official mistress of Louis XIV. Born in Tours in 1644, Françoise-Louise de La Baume Le Blanc benefited from an excellent education in her youth and entered the service of Henrietta of England, the wife of Philip of Orleans, brother of the king. The latter quickly fell under the spell of the young woman and made her his official mistress, granting her the title of Duchess of La Vallière. After bearing several children to the king, she had to face competition from the Marquise de Montespan and ended up retiring to the Carmelite convent in 1710. When Louis XIV and women are mentioned, two names stand out and dominate superbly: Athénaïs de Montespan, the flamboyant and biting favorite, and Françoise de Maintenon, the enigmatic secret wife. The general public often overlooks the sweet and discreet Louise de La Vallière. A persistent fable portrays her as the insignificant and naive first mistress of the King. And yet! Endowed with remarkable qualities of heart, this young woman will be the only mistress of Louis XIV to love him solely for himself. Pierre Mignard, a classical French painter of the 17th century, he is especially known for his portraits of the royal family or his contemporaries. His reputation began during a stay in Rome in the early 1650s. In 1657, Louis XIV invited him to Paris to work at Court, and a stop in Avignon saw his first meeting with Molière. There he established a strong friendship and the painter became one of the few close friends of the actor outside of his troupe. In 1664 Mignard completed the frescoes of the church of Val de Grace in Paris, and Molière composed a eulogy for them, published in 1669. Despite the royal approval he received, Mignard repeatedly refused to enter the Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture. He nevertheless became its director in 1690. Admired in the 17th century, considered a model in the 18th century, he would be forgotten or denigrated in the history of art from the 19th century. Born a little over 400 years ago, it is interesting to rediscover this talented artist. Good condition. Sold with a certificate