245 - Marguerite-Thérèse DELAPERCHE, née LEPRINCE (1743–1814)

Marguerite-Thérèse DELAPERCHE, née LEPRINCE (1743–1814) Portrait of the Viscountess of Vibraye, née Blanguy Pastel on paper mounted on cardboard H_32 cm W_27 cm Some damage in the upper portion; minor wear. Bears an old inscription: “Made by Mr. Delaperche, 9 Rue Bergère, Paris. The Viscountess of Vibraye, née Blanguy, 1788.” Bibliography: - Neil Jeffares, *Dictionary of Pastellists Before 1800*, entry “Laperche, Mme Jean-Baptiste.” - Olivia Voisin (ed.), Jean-Marie Delaperche (1771–1843). An Artist Facing the Turmoil of History, exhibition catalog, Musée des Beaux-Arts d’Orléans, 2020. Marguerite-Thérèse Delaperche was a portrait artist and pastelist who trained in her hometown of Orléans under Jean-Baptiste Perronneau before continuing her studies in Paris, notably under Jean-Baptiste Greuze and Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun. Settling in the capital in 1778, she established herself as a portrait artist serving an aristocratic and bourgeois clientele, specializing in pastels and miniatures. Our portrait depicts the Viscountess of Vibraye, née Blanguy, whose identity is revealed by an old inscription on the reverse. She is likely Marie Françoise Adélaïde Le Vicomte de Blangy, born in 1762. She was the wife of Charles François Hurault de Vibraye (1739–1828), Viscount of Vibraye and lieutenant general of the King’s armies. This inscription also lists the artist’s name and her address at 9 Rue Bergère in Paris. Long overlooked, the artist was brought to the forefront during the exhibition dedicated to the Delaperche family at the Musée des Beaux-Arts in Orléans in 2020. Expert: Cabinet Artéon