ARNAUD VINCENT DE MONPETIT (1713-1800)

Portrait miniature of a Lady, wearing a red gown trimmed with gold, a gold-striped gauze veil in her powdered hair

Fixé-sous-verre
Set into a gold bracelet clasp with pearl strand bracelet, the reverse of the clasp with four goldsmith’s marks
Oval, 35 mm (1 ³/₈ inches) high

SOLD

“According to Ann Massing 'Montpetit is said to have painted forty portraits of the King’.”
The portrait painted for this bracelet, given to Arnaud Vincent de Montpetit, is a rare example of a miniature painted in the “eludoric” or “fixé-sous-verre” (fixed under glass) technique. Montpetit refined the technique, which was extremely difficult to master. These oil paintings were created on fine cloth (apparently under a thin layer of water) and then stuck onto the reverse side of an embossed glass with water-soluble glue (presumably animal glue). 

The lavish clothing worn by the sitter here is reminiscent of the fashions worn by Louis XV’s most famous mistress, Madame de Pompadour (1721–1764), one of the most famous figures of her time. In 1759, the Department of Foreign Affairs commissioned from Montpetit three portraits of King Louis XV to be used as royal gifts: two of them were destined to be mounted on bracelets (as with this example)  for which he was paid 240 livres each in April of that year. The third one, for which he was paid 360 livres was mounted on a box encrusted with 338 diamonds. In June 1760, he supplied a further portrait of the king to the Department of Foreign Affairs to be mounted on a gold box encrusted with diamonds, emeralds and rubies by the goldsmith Ducrollay.

According to Ann Massing ('Arnaud Vincent de Montpetit and Eludoric Painting', Zeitschrift für Kunsttechnologie und Konservierung, 1993, vol. 7, no. 2, p. 360), 'Montpetit is said to have painted forty portraits of the King.' Nevertheless, only very few of those miniatures seem to have survived. A rectangular fixé-sous-verre of King Louis XV by de Montpetit was exhibited at the Reichenberg Exhibition of 1903, owned by Prince A. de Rohan, Sichrow (see L. R. Schidlof, The Miniature in Europe, Graz, 1964, II, p. 569). The current work is therefore a rare survival of this technique, in the setting in which it was meant to be first worn by the owner.
Private collection, UK. 

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The Limner Company does not accept any responsibility for import duty, this is to be paid by the buyer.

Some stock items contain materials from endangered species which are governed by CITES regulations and will require a permit to export outside of Great Britain. If a certificate of export is required then this will be the responsibility of and paid for by the buyer .

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Portrait miniature of a Lady, wearing a red gown trimmed with gold, a gold-striped gauze veil in her powdered hair

ARNAUD VINCENT DE MONPETIT

(1713-1800)

Portrait miniature of a Lady, wearing a red gown trimmed with gold, a gold-striped gauze veil in her powdered hair

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shipping notice

The item added to cart contains materials from endangered or protected species. The Limner Company cannot arrange for the delivery of artworks containing ivory, tortoiseshell, or mother of pearl outside of the UK due to import restrictions. The buyer or designated agent may collect the property in the country of sale.

You are advised that several countries prohibit the importation of any items made from or containing certain endangered or protected species (such as ivory, tortoiseshell, or mother of pearl), while other countries will require a permit (e.g. a CITES licence). Such permits must be obtained from the relevant regulatory body in both the country of importation and exportation. If you intend to import such items into another country you should familiarise yourself with the relevant customs regulations and laws before purchase. Delays or refusal of import or export of such works shall not permit cancellation of a sale. It is your responsibility to satisfy any laws or regulations applying to the import or export of any work containing such protected species. For further information on the protected species listed please visit the CITES website:http://www.cites.org/. For further information about import and export regulations please visit:http://www.defra.gov.uk/ahvla-en/imports-exports/cites/. On request, the Company can assist with or apply for a license on your behalf.

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shipping TERMS AND CONDITIONS

Worldwide shipping is included in all prices.

The Limner Company does not accept any responsibility for import duty, this is to be paid by the buyer.

See Section 7.5 in Terms & Conditions for information on export/import regulations. Please contact us to discuss shipping options. Some stock items contain materials from endangered species which are governed by CITES regulations and will require a permit to export outside of Great Britain. If a certificate of export is required then this will be the responsibility of and paid for by the buyer.

See Section 7.5 in Terms & Conditions for information on export/import regulations.

Please contact us to discuss shipping options.

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