150 - Henri BEAUBRUN (1603–1677) and Charles BEAUBRUN (1604–1692), Studio of

Henri BEAUBRUN (1603–1677) and Charles BEAUBRUN (1604–1692), Studio of Portrait of Anne-Marie-Louise d’Orléans, known as La Grande Mademoiselle, as Minerva, c. 1660–1670 Oil on canvas H_91 x W_ 73.5 cm Restored, re-stretched Bears a label from Ryman’s and Co., Fine Art Dealers, on the reverse Bibliography: Gwénola Firmin and Élodie Waysse, *Portraits of the Queens of France, 1630–1665*, chapter: “Two Cousins in the Service of the Queens,” exhibition catalog, Milan, Silvana Editoriale, 2020. Related Works: Studio of Henri and Charles Beaubrun, Portrait of the Grande Mademoiselle in a Fancy Costume, c. 1660, oil on canvas, 130 x 98 cm, Musée Carnavalet Our painting likely depicts the Grande Mademoiselle, Anne-Marie-Louise d’Orléans (1627–1693), portrayed as Minerva, the Roman goddess of wisdom and war. This allegorical representation was particularly popular and common in 17th-century aristocratic portraiture; it allowed the model’s qualities to be associated with the heroic virtues of antiquity, thereby emulating the king, who was regularly depicted as Apollo, Jupiter, or even Hercules. In the case of the Duchess of Montpensier, her identification with Minerva takes on a special significance when one considers her independent spirit and her military involvement during the Fronde. Far from being a mere allegory, this portrait helps affirm the status of the princess, who occupies a unique place in the history of the French monarchy. Anne-Marie-Louise d’Orléans, Duchess of Montpensier, better known as the “Grande Mademoiselle,” was one of the most remarkable female figures of Louis XIV’s reign. The daughter of Gaston d’Orléans, brother of Louis XIII, and Marie de Bourbon, Duchess of Montpensier, she was thus the first cousin of the Sun King and one of the wealthiest heiresses in the kingdom. This princess, with her strong-willed character, played an important role during the Fronde by siding with the Prince of Condé. In July 1652, she had the gates of Paris opened to the Prince of Condé’s troops and ordered the cannons of the Bastille to be fired on the royal army—a famous episode that earned her disgrace and several years of exile, but which perfectly explains her depiction as a goddess of war. Henri and Charles Beaubrun were first cousins and were among the most highly regarded portrait painters at the French court during the reigns of Louis XIII and Louis XIV. Coming from a family of painters, they trained in portraiture under their uncle Louis Beaubrun before embarking on a joint career that earned them numerous royal commissions. In his youth, Henri served as Louis XIII’s arquebus bearer and later as his valet of the wardrobe, positions that granted him access to the sovereign’s inner circle. In 1638, the two cousins painted a portrait of the pregnant Anne of Austria, followed by one of the Dauphin—the future Louis XIV—who was only a few days old. Their success continued during the latter’s reign, and in 1660, they helped create the Parisian decorations celebrating his marriage to Maria Theresa of Austria. The two painters worked in such close collaboration that it is particularly difficult today to distinguish their individual styles. According to the *Unpublished Memoirs on the Life and Works of the Members of the Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture*: “They would consult with one another on the same work and execute it in turn, in full view of everyone, without making a secret of it, because, in fact, their painting styles could not be distinguished. ” This collaboration is illustrated by the portrait of the two artists painting the same canvas together, created by Martin Lambert in 1675 and now housed at the Palace of Versailles. Highly sought after, the Beaubruns developed a particularly recognizable style, characterized by idealized facial features, soft skin tones, and refined costumes. Our portrait of the Grande Mademoiselle is a perfect example of this. This style of depicting subjects can be seen as a continuation of the court portraiture developed in France in the early 17th century, particularly by Frans Pourbus the Younger.