15 - 19th-century French school.

19th-century French school. Portrait of Marie-Thérèse of France (1778–1851), Duchess of Angoulême. Oil on canvas. Circa 1814–1818. In its original gilded wooden frame, decorated with fleurs-de-lis. H. 64 x W. 53.5 cm. Frame: H. 80 x W. 70.5 cm. Provenance French private collection. History This work is a previously unpublished portrait of Marie-Thérèse of France, the first child of King Louis XVI (1754–1793) and Queen Marie-Antoinette (1755–1793). Born in Versailles on December 19, 1778, and known as “Madame Royale,” she was the only child of the royal couple to survive the Revolution, earning her the nickname “the orphan of the Temple.” Freed in December 1795, she subsequently spent many years in exile. During this period, she married in Mitau, on June 10, 1799, to her cousin Louis-Antoine d’Artois (1775–1844), Duke of Angoulême, son of the Count of Artois and the future Charles X (1757–1836). Returning to France during the First Restoration, she became a major figure in the restored monarchy and a prominent presence in Parisian society. At the 1814 Salon—the first since the Bourbons’ return to the throne—five portraits of the duchess were exhibited. Our portrait is part of this body of work intended to celebrate the survivor of the Reign of Terror, who had become the new face of the monarchy—a role she retained during the Second Restoration. Yet it occupies a unique place in the princess’s iconography. She is most often depicted adorned with sumptuous jewels, particularly spectacular tiaras frequently topped with a white feathered aigrette, as in her portrait by Benoît-Benjamin Bonvoisin (ill. 1). Our portrait, by contrast, stands out for its delicate simplicity. It offers a more intimate and romantic image of the duchess, suggesting it was commissioned for her close circle. The royal frame adorned with fleurs-de-lis reinforces this hypothesis. The duchess is depicted wearing a blue dress, the shimmer of whose velvet can be glimpsed. Her hair is delicately adorned with three rows of pearls and blue flowers. Around her neck, a necklace of pear-shaped diamonds serves as a reminder of her rank and family heritage. This piece of jewelry, passed down from her mother, Queen Marie Antoinette, remained associated with the princess’s image throughout her life. It appears in nearly all depictions of her. It can be seen, in particular, in the portrait of the duchess by Jean-Baptiste-Jacques Augustin, whose composition is very similar to ours (ill. 2). Related Works - Benoît Benjamin Bonvoisin (1788–1860), Portrait of H.R.H. Marie-Thérèse of France, Duchess of Angoulême, 1816, private collection (ill. 1). - Jean-Baptiste-Jacques Augustin (1759–1832), Portrait of Marie Thérèse Charlotte, Duchess of Angoulême (1778–1851), 1818, Sotheby’s auction, London, July 8, 2008, lot 82 (sold for £109,250) (ill. 2). Bibliography Becquet, Hélène, *Marie-Thérèse de France, l’orpheline du Temple*, Paris, 2012.