346 - Charles MONNET (1732–after 1808)

Charles MONNET (1732–after 1808) Portrait of Charles-Eugène de Lorraine (1751–1825), Prince of Lambesc. Oil on canvas, oval format, unsigned. Circa 1790. Bears an added and erroneous inscription along the upper edge: “THIS PORTRAIT IS OF PAUL III, PRINCE OF ROHAN, THE LAST OWNER OF THIS HOUSE.” H. 63.5 x W. 53 cm. History The figure depicted can be identified as Charles-Eugène de Lorraine (1751–1825), Prince of Lambesc, Count of Brionne, and Duke of Elbeuf, the last male representative of the Elbeuf branch of the House of Lorraine-Guise. The son of Louis-Charles de Lorraine, Prince of Lambesc, and Louise-Julie-Constance de Rohan-Rochefort, he succeeded his father at a very young age as Grand Equerry of France. As a colonel and owner of the Royal-Allemand Cavalry Regiment, and later as a brigadier general, he is best known for leading his cavalry into the Tuileries Garden on July 12, 1789. After emigrating, he pursued a distinguished military career in the service of the Habsburgs and died in Vienna in 1825. The prince is depicted from the waist up, wearing his green uniform with light blue lapels edged in gold and bearing the Cross of the Order of Saint Louis on his chest. A second version of this composition, of almost exactly the same dimensions (63.5 x 52.5 cm), is signed and dated “Monnet 1790” (ill. 1). A comparison of the two works reveals a remarkable similarity in composition and execution, while also highlighting several differences in execution. This portrait is distinguished in particular by the presence of a small earring, which is absent from the signed version. The rendering of the fabrics also shows several differences: the blue lapels here display particularly rich play of light and reflections, while the braiding and decoration are executed with great precision. These differences show that this is not a strictly mechanical reproduction of the signed version, but rather a second version of the composition, of the same dimensions and featuring several variations in its execution. An old inscription, dating from after the portrait was completed and uncovered during the cleaning of the work, runs along the upper edge: “THIS PORTRAIT IS OF PAUL III, PRINCE OF ROHAN, THE LAST OWNER OF THIS HOUSE .” This inscription corresponds to an old but erroneous identification of the subject. It nevertheless provides an interesting insight into the painting’s history and may indicate that it was once housed in a residence connected to the Rohan family. This connection to the Rohan family is particularly interesting since Charles-Eugène de Lorraine was himself the son of Louise-Julie-Constance de Rohan-Rochefort. Having died without issue, he was thus directly related to the House of Rohan through his mother. Although the inscription was added after the painting was completed, it has been preserved as evidence of the painting’s history and its former identification.