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155
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Gabriel REVEL (Château-Thierry 1643 - 1712 Dijon)
155.
See original version (French)
155
-
Gabriel REVEL (Château-Thierry 1643 - 1712 Dijon)
155.
See original version (French)
Estimate €20,000 - €30,000
Voluntary lot
Description
Gabriel REVEL (Château-Thierry 1643 - 1712 Dijon)
155. Gabriel REVEL (Château-Thierry 1643 -1712 Dijon)
Portrait as Judith, presumed to be of the Marquise de Montespan
Oil on canvas
H_98,5 cm 75 cm
Signed and dated, Revel pinxit 1688 on the entablature
Provenance :
- Possibly the "Judith and Holofernes" cited at the Château de Petit-Bourg, home of the Duc d'Antin, in 1736: "un dessus de trumeau de 3'[pieds]6"[pouces]: "Judith and Holofernes" probably for the bedroom in the Pavillon Nord
- French private collection
- Paris private collection
This fascinating portrait by Gabriel Revel, painted in 1688, shows a woman portraying the biblical heroine Judith. She is leaning against the severed head of the tyrant general Holofernes, still holding the murder sword in her right hand. This portrait shows the features of Madame de Montespan as Judith. In 1688, she was experiencing difficult times at Court. Her position as the king's favourite was being challenged by the woman who had raised her children, Mme de Maintenon, the king's future morganatic wife. The poisons affair had tarnished her reputation since 1685, and she felt increasingly scorned by the man she loved, eventually entering a convent in 1691.
The treatment of a portrait of Madame de Montespan in the guise of Judith, imbued with dignity and calm, is probably no coincidence, as is the choice of artist Gabriel Revel for this painting. A former pupil of Charles Le Brun, he worked with the latter on royal projects from 1670 to 1680. This painting bears witness to the artistic qualities of the painters trained in Charles Lebrun's studio and their ability to transcribe his pictorial language.
Revel's use of colour and texture was masterly. A vermilion-red drape evokes the flow of blood and divides the composition between Judith's body and the decapitated head. Her lapis-lazuli blue dress cuts through and softens the tone. Here, Revel delivers a psychological portrait of Judith.
See original version (French)
Auto-translation. Refer to original language for legal validity.
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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