36 - Hippolyte FLANDRIN (Lyon 1809 – Rome 1864)

Hippolyte FLANDRIN (Lyon 1809 – Rome 1864) Portrait of Etienne de Villiers du Terrage Oil on canvas 80.5 x 72 cm Signed and dated in the upper right: HIPPOLYTE FLANDRIN . MVCCCXLVI. Prefect of Mayenne during the Hundred Days, Paul-Étienne, Viscount de Villiers du Terrage (1774–1858) was appointed prefect of the Pyrénées-Orientales in July 1815, during the Second Restoration; prefect of the Doubs in 1818; and then of the Gard in 1820. He joined the Council of State as a Master of Requests in 1824, then became a State Councilor. In 1830, he was appointed prefect of the Nord. He became a Peer of France on October 3, 1837, before leaving political life following the revolution of 1848. Auguste, Hippolyte, and Paul Flandrin were among the most important artists on the Lyon art scene in the 19th century. Having been introduced to the arts by their father, the three brothers asserted their calling for painting at a very early age. One after another, they enrolled in classes at the École des Beaux-Arts in Lyon. Auguste, as the eldest, felt it was his responsibility to quickly provide for the family by working as a lithographer. With more freedom, Hippolyte and Paul chose to continue their training in Paris in 1829. They enrolled in the studio of Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres. Hippolyte won the Prix de Rome in 1832 and left to study in Italy. Portraiture was a major focus of the work of each of the three Flandrin brothers. All three would achieve success in this field and receive numerous commissions at a time when demand for the genre was booming among a flourishing bourgeoisie. The pencil study for this portrait is housed at the Musée des Beaux-Arts in Lyon. Provenance: Work commissioned directly from the artist, then passed down through the family