290 - From the Circle of Henriette Lorimier (1775–1854)

From the Circle of Henriette Lorimier (1775–1854) Portrait of Julie Clary Leaning Against a Rock Oil on canvas H_92 cm W_74 cm Varnish heavily soiled and oxidized Related work: Portrait of Mme Desmarest painted by Henriette Lorimier and sold on June 26, 2004, lot 122, at Tajan. Henriette Lorimier (1775–1854), a student of Jean-Baptiste Regnault, was one of the female painters active during the Consulate and the Empire. Exhibiting at the Salon from 1800 to 1814, she distinguished herself through her portraits and genre scenes, characterized by delicate expressions and soft colors. Her talent earned her the favor of several members of the imperial family, notably Caroline Bonaparte and Empress Joséphine, who acquired some of her works. Our portrait depicts Marie-Julie Clary (1771–1845), the older sister of Désirée Clary, Napoleon Bonaparte’s former fiancée and future Queen of Sweden. Born into a wealthy family of merchants in Marseille, Julie married Joseph Bonaparte in 1794 and became Queen of Naples in 1806, then Queen of Spain in 1808. This portrait may be related to the close ties Henriette Lorimier maintained with the imperial family’s circle during the First Empire. A miniature copy of our painting was formerly housed at the Napoleonic Museum in Rome. Expert: Cabinet Artéon