138 - Early 19th-century French school, after Louise-Elisabeth VIGÉE-LEBRUN (1755–1842).

Early 19th-century French school, after Louise-Elisabeth VIGÉE-LEBRUN (1755–1842). Portrait of Victurnienne Delphine Nathalie de Rochechouart de Mortemart (1754–1825), Marquise de Rougé, in riding attire. Oil on canvas, oval format. Set in a beautiful oval gilded wood frame decorated with beaded and ribboned friezes. H. 80 x W. 65 cm (canvas). Provenance - Descendants of the subject. - ⁠French private collection. History Our portrait appears to be a skillful studio copy; another, more accomplished version, dated 1788 and of identical dimensions, was sold in 2008 as “attributed to” Vigée-Lebrun (Christie’s London, December 2, 2008, lot 144, ill. 1) and bore an identification of the model on the reverse. Both versions appear to be studio copies based on an original that remains lost to this day. The ninth child of the ninth Duke of Mortemart, our subject was a lady-in-waiting to Queen Marie Antoinette. She married Bonabes, Marquis de Rougé (1751–1783), in 1777 and was widowed six years later; she had her first portrait painted in 1787 by Vigée-Lebrun, alongside her friend, the Marquise de Pezay, and her children (Washington, National Gallery of Art, inv. 1964.11.1, ill. 2). In 1789, just three days after the storming of the Bastille, Madame de Rougé and her sons left France for Switzerland; they returned the following year and lived in seclusion at the home of their aunt, the Duchess of Elbeuf (Innocente-Catherine de Rougé), at the Château de Moreuil. In 1791, along with her children, her mother, and Madame de Pezay, Madame de Rougé emigrated to Germany, first to Heidelberg. D’Espinchal met them there and recorded in his journal: “I found the Duchess of Mortemart living here since last winter; she is the mother of the Duke and the Marquis of Mortemart, both of whom are deputies to the Estates-General and both members of the conservative nobility’s majority. The Marquise de Rougé, their sister—a pretty and amiable widow—is here with her children (she looks more like their sister) and Madame de Pezay, who is a close friend” (pp. 242–243). In 1796, the Marquise de Rougé moved to Neustadt, near Vienna, where Adrien had been admitted to the military academy, and lived in Altona and Münster before returning to Paris in 1798. Since her lands had been expropriated and sold, she initially had to take lodgings in a house run by former nuns. Her sons joined her in France in 1800. She died on December 25, 1828. Her descendants include members of the following families: Achard de Leluardière, Alloatti, Amidieu du Clos, Archambeaud, d’Arcy, d’Arschot Schoonhoven, Audousset, Axelrad, Aymer de La Chevalerie, Bacot, de Baglion de La Dufferie, Bahezre de Lanlay, Baldit, de Bar de La Garde Charles, Barbier de La Serre, Barbou des Courières, de Barry, de Bastard, de Beaulaincourt de Marles, Beaulieu, Beauvillain, de Becdelièvre, de Belsunce, Benouville, Berchon, Bernard de Courville, Berthelot, Berthier de Grandry, Bertoult d'Hautecloque, Billaudel de Montagnac, Biosse Duplan, du Boishamon, Boissonnet, Bonabe de Rougé, de Bonchamps, de Bonnault d'Houët, Bonnin de La Bonninière de Beaumont, Boudoux d’Hautefeuille, du Bourg de Bozas Chaix d’Est-Ange, de Bournonville, de Boutray, de Bouvier Mathieu de Vienne, de Bouët du Portal, Brincard, Bro de Comères, de Brunhoff, Buffetaut, Burgess, Burin des Roziers, de Béjarry, de Cadoudal, de Calbiac, Cardon de Rougé, Carnot, de Carné-Trécesson, Carrelet de Loisy, de Cassagne de Beaufort de Miramon-Pesteils, du Cauzé de Nazelle, de Chalendar, de Champs de Saint-Léger, Chancerelle de Roquancourt-Kéravel, de Chauliac, de Chavagnac, Chevallier-Chantepie, de Chevron-Villette, de Châtillon de Forceville de Merlimont, de Chérade de Montbron, le Clément de Saint-Marcq, Collignon, from Colombel, from Cordoüe-Hecquard, Cortyl, Costa de Beauregard, from Cotton, from Coussemaker, from Couëdic de Kergoaler, Couëtoux du Tertre, from Crouy-Chanel, Dadvisard, Dalamel de Bournet, Dalle, Daniel, Darblay, Darche, Dauger, de David-Beauregard Anselme, Deban, Debavelaere, Degruson, Dehen, Delassus, Delobelle, Delorme, Delort-Laval, Denys de Bonnaventure, Desbois, Dethomas, Dheilly, Didier, Dollé, Dont, Dormeuil, de Drouâs, Dubois, Dubreucq-Pérus, Dugros de Boisseguin, Dulac, Dumas, Dumont Saint-Priest, Duplouich, Dupré de Puget, Eclancher, Faivre d’Arcier, Favre, Ferber, Ferracin, Flye Sainte Marie, de Foucauld, Fournial, Franc du Breil, de France, Fraval de Coatparquet, de Freslon de La Freslonnière, du Fresne de Virel, Fresneau, de Frotté, Fustin, Féron, Gallacier, Gandrille, Garnier, Gasnos, de Gasquet, Geistodt-Kiener, de Geyer d’Orth, de Ghaisne de Bourmont, Gilart de Keranflec’h, Giraud, Giroult des Brosses, Giscard d’Estaing, Gomart, de Gontaut Biron, de Gorguette d’Argœuves, de Goulaine, Goulard de Curraize, de Gouttes Lastouzeilles, Grardel, Greggory, Guillaumat, Guinebert, Gutiérrez de Saporta,