COLLIN DU BOCAGE
204
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Jean-Baptiste THEVENET (La Rochelle 1800 – ? 1867)
See original version (French)
204
-
Jean-Baptiste THEVENET (La Rochelle 1800 – ? 1867)
See original version (French)
Estimate €800 - €1,000
Voluntary lot
Description
Jean-Baptiste THEVENET (La Rochelle 1800 – ? 1867)
Presumed portrait of Prosper Mérimée (1803–1870) in front of a portrait of his mistress, Valentine Delessert, 1860
Miniature on ivory, signed and dated top left: Thevenet / 1860
11.2 x 8.9 cm
The writer, historian and architect Prosper Mérimée is easily recognisable here. The compass held in the sitter’s hand and the plan visible in the foreground serve as a reminder of his role as Inspector-General of Historic Monuments. His significant literary output (essays, poems, short stories, plays) is highlighted by two volumes resting on the table. A flute emphasises the musical and poetic world in which Mérimée took a keen interest (one thinks in particular of *Carmen*, *The Pied Piper of Hamelin*, etc.). Finally, on the canvas visible in the background, we can recognise the portrait of Mme Valentine Delessert, with whom Mérimée was madly in love.
See original version (French)
Auto-translation. Refer to original language for legal validity.
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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