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Ader

28 - François-Hubert DROUAIS (Paris 1727-1775) Portrait of Marie-…
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Estimate €60,000 - €80,000
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Description
François-Hubert DROUAIS (Paris 1727-1775) Portrait of Marie-Elisabeth Mignot, wife of Dompierre de Fontaine then Marquise de Florian (1715 - 1771), as a draughtswoman Canvas 73 x 59 cm Inscribed on the reverse of the canvas "Mme de Dompierre d'hornoy de Fontaines"; bears 20th century labels on the reverse of the stretcher with attributions to Charles Van Loo and François Hubert Drouais "1275 / F.H. Drouais Elisabeth Dompierre de Fontaines d'hornoy niece of Voltaire, demoiselle Mignot / ... Dompierre d'hornoy" and "Carle Van ... / Mme Dompierre d'Hornoy / à M ... anger". Louis XV style carved oak frame with pig tails Old restorations Provenance : Monsieur Dompierre d'Hornoy collection, Château de Dompierre d'Hornoy before 1906 ; Duveen brothers, London, May 1906, n° 6 (Drouais) ; Collection Sigismond Reitlinger, Paris, 1909 (Carle Van Loo according to the label on the reverse); Acquired by the current owner's grandfather from Etienne Ader in the 1950s. Exhibition: An exhibition of Masterspieces by French painters of the XVIII century, London, Duveen brothers, May 1906, n° 6 (Drouais). Bibliography: N. Jeffares, Dictionary of pastellists before 1800, online edition consulted in March 2026, (unsigned oil portrait of her attributed to Drouais). To be compared with the Self-portrait painted by Madame de Dompierre de Fontaine (canvas, 32 x 24 cm) sold by the Deloys auction house in Saumur in December 2018 (Turquin expert), purchased by the Château de Ferney-Voltaire. This canvas, the only known painting by this woman artist, bore on the reverse these old inscriptions "Mme de Dompierre de Fontaine, mother of President F. Hornoy great-grandfather of Paul Carpentier through her mother née de Dompierre - Hornoy, married 2 weddings to M. de Florian (uncle of the author)" and the painting was accompanied by a paper in an envelope with these inscriptions: "Mme de Dompierre de Fontaine, niece of Voltaire, sister of Mme Denis and executrix of Voltaire's will. Married for the second time to the Marquis de Florian, uncle of the Fabuliste. " Madame de Dompierre de Fontaine, born Marie-Elisabeth Mignot, was Voltaire's niece and the younger sister of Marie-Louise Mignot, known as Madame Denis, Voltaire's governess and companion at the Délices. Madame de Dompierre is known as a pastellist, although in his correspondence Voltaire refers to her works as "tableaux", without specifying whether they are pastels or canvases. In a letter dated 2 July 1755, he wrote: "I am writing to you, my dearest niece, by having your portrait and that of your son nailed to my bedside table. In truth, here are three masterpieces of your style which are very dear to me, you, the little d'Hornoy, and his pastels. You could not have painted a prettier child or a prettier portrait. Yours is a perfect likeness. You are an excellent painter. " In 1738, Marie-Elisabeth Mignot married Nicolas Joseph de Dompierre de Fontaine, Esquire, President of the Treasurers of France in Amiens and Master of the Court of Auditors. This union gave birth to Alexandre Marie François de Dompierre d'Hornoy in 1742, who was President of the First Chamber of Investigations of the Parliament of Paris in 1780, Mayor of Hornoy in 1808 and Honorary State Councillor in 1814. After the death of her husband in 1756, Marie-Elisabeth remarried in 1762 to Philippe-Antoine de Claris, Marquis de Florian and uncle of the fabulist Jean-Pierre Claris de Florian. She died in 1771, aged 56.
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About the sale Antique paintings - Decorative Arts
Auction location
Auction time 06/16/2026 at 2:30 PM
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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