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388 - Henri-François RIESENER (Paris, 1767 - 1828) Bust-Length Por…
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Estimate €5,000 - €6,000
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Henri-François RIESENER (Paris, 1767 - 1828) Bust-Length Portrait of a Man in a Purple Velvet Jacket and White Collar Oil on canvas 65.4 x 53.8 cm Signed and dated lower right Riesener 1809 Beautiful late 18th century giltwood frame decorated with pearls and heart-shaped raisins Provenance : - England, private collection. Bibliography: - Une dynastie d'artistes : Les Trois Riesener, catalogue of the exhibition at the Galerie des Beaux-Arts, Paris, 1954. Caught between two centuries, Henri-François Riesener was born into an artistic environment in 1767, receiving his first introduction to art from his father Jean-Henri Riesener, the famous cabinetmaker to Louis XV and then Louis XVI. The young artist later studied under Antoine Vestier (1740-1824), who redirected his career towards portraiture. The annals of the Académie schools mention that he was a pupil of François-André Vincent (1746-1816) and then of Jacques-Louis David (1748-1825) before his career was brutally interrupted by service in the army and then by the Revolution. Riesener took part in the Salon for the first time in 1793 and again in 1799, before exhibiting regularly until 1814, when he was awarded the large gold medal bearing the effigy of Napoleon. The Salon booklets list a large production of male and female portraits, but the meagre descriptions do not allow us to identify them or determine their exact date. The return of the Bourbons to power curbed the number of commissions for the artist, who chose to leave for Russia from 1816 to 1823. While in Warsaw, he met Grand Duke Constantine, who later introduced him to the Empress and Emperor Alexander. During these seven years, Riesener met with great success. Among other things, he was commissioned to paint the celebrities of the Russian aristocracy and high commerce. A formidable portraitist, his works were highly praised during his lifetime, leading to numerous commissions, so much so that he sometimes produced numerous replicas. Although the identity of our model remains uncertain, our painting, dated 1809, is a fine example of French commissions under the Empire, received before his departure for Russia. In its simple elegance of presentation, the artist depicts a bust of a man, slightly in three-quarter view. Eliminating superfluous details, Riesener depicts his model with elegant simplicity: he wears a purplish velvet suit with wide flaps and a bright white collar elegantly tied, characteristic of Empire fashion. At the time, collars and ties required several metres of extremely expensive cotton. They were sometimes so wide that they reached right up to the ears, as our portrait shows, and required help to tie them properly. The tousled hair is skilfully organised. The model's hair is done in the latest fashion, known as "à la Titus", putting an end to the wigs of the Ancien Régime and establishing a link with the republican principles of ancient Rome and Greece. Like his eminent contemporary Jacques-Louis David, Riesener presented most of his models against a neutral, often brushed copper-coloured background. This background can be found in other portraits by the artist, including that of his father (ill. 1), inspired by David's work. This background allows the light to play with the face and textures, and focuses attention on the facial expression. The psychology of the face captured in this way reveals the benevolence of this man posing serenely before the painter, whom he stares at with his unsuspecting blue eyes. The virtuosity of the artist's brushwork helps to make the work moving and its model almost religious. The direct, almost familiar look of our portrait might also suggest that the painter knew his sitter intimately. On his return from Russia, Henri-François Riesener found his wife, his son and also success. This epic journey enabled him to establish himself as an independent painter whose portraits delighted the eye of his most eminent contemporaries. He was an excellent colourist, recognised by his elders for the truth that emanated from his portraits, enabling him to live "above need".1 This work will be included in the catalogue raisonné being prepared on the artist by Alexis Bordes and Philippe Nusbaumer. 1 Letter from Henri-François Riesener to his wife, written while the artist was still in Moscow (Une dynastie d'artistes : Les Trois Riesener, catalogue of the exhibition at the Galerie des Beaux-Arts, Paris, 1954) Ill. 1 Henri-François Riesener Portrait of Jean-Henri Riesener (1734 - 1806), father of the artist Signed and dated lower left Riesener 1800 Oil on canvas England, Waddesdon Manor (5.2016)
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About the sale Furniture and objets d'art
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Auction time 06/12/2026 at 11:00 AM
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