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Premium ALEXANDRE LANDRE - BEAUNE
55
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A follower of Jacob Ferdinand VOET (1639–1689)
See original version (French)
55
-
A follower of Jacob Ferdinand VOET (1639–1689)
See original version (French)
Estimate €2,000 - €3,000
Voluntary lot
Description
A follower of Jacob Ferdinand VOET (1639–1689)
Portrait of Hortense MANCINI, Duchess of MAZARIN
Oil on canvas.
Dimensions: H_59.5 cm W_51 cm
Restored.
Inscription ‘Duchess of Mazarin’ in the top right-hand corner.
Hortense Mancini (1646–1699), Duchess of Mazarin and Mayenne, Countess
of Rocroy, left her mark on her era through her free-spirited nature, her great beauty and
her remarkable quick wit.
Niece of Cardinal Mazarin, she was also the sister of Marie Mancini, who
herself was famous for being the first to capture the heart of King Louis
XIV.
At the age of 15, the young Hortense was married to the Duke of La Meilleraye, with whom she
had three children. But the Duke curtailed her freedom and prevented her
from managing her estate as she saw fit. With the help of her brother, the Duke Philippe de
Nevers, she fled to Rome, where she was reunited with her sister, Marie. Running out of
money, it was King Louis XIV who came to her aid by granting her a
pension. Hortense Mancini eventually left Rome for Chambéry – where she
wrote her memoirs – before going into exile in England, where Charles II and then
William III granted her a pension in turn. In London, she surrounded herself with
both members of the nobility and the intellectual elite. After two
lawsuits brought against her, her husband was unable to persuade her to return to
France. She died in London in 1699, leaving behind the image of a
resolutely free woman.
Expert: Artéon Gallery – Expert: Quentin BONNEFOY – Artéon Gallery
See original version (French)
Auto-translation. Refer to original language for legal validity.
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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