Adrienne Marie Louise Grandpierre-Deverzy (1798–1869)...

Adrienne Marie Louise Grandpierre-Deverzy (1798–1869) Portrait of a Lady in the Garden — 1846 Technical sheet Artist: Adrienne Marie Louise Grandpierre-Deverzy (Tonnerre, 1798 – Paris, 1869) Proposed title: Portrait de dame au jardin / Portrait of a Lady with a Garden in the Background School: French Period: French Romanticism / Academic painting of the July Monarchy Chronology: circa 1840 Technique: oil on canvas Signature: signed in the lower left corner, apparently “Mlle Grandpierre” Date: date inscription, read as 1840 Canvas dimensions: 61 × 50 cm Overall dimensions with frame: 86 × 73 cm Subject: full-length female portrait indoors opening onto a landscape Frame: substantial gilded frame in a historicist taste, lavishly ornamented with vegetal, floral motifs and Rocaille inspiration Reverse: retains a partially legible stamp of a Parisian canvas supplier, related to rue de l’Arbre-Sec Condition: Shows visible restorations. Conservation in keeping with its age, with craquelure and signs typical of a mid-19th century painting. See the photographs carefully, which form part of the description. Description Delicate and elegant French mid-19th-century female portrait, attributed by its signature to Adrienne Marie Louise Grandpierre-Deverzy, a singular figure of French painting in Romanticism and one of the professional artists active in Paris during the first half of the 19th century. The sitter appears full-length, dressed soberly in black and wearing a delicate white and blue cap. The sobriety of the attire deliberately contrasts with the large crimson drapery that frames the background and with the garden’s brightness opening to the right of the composition. The painter thus builds an image in balance between representation portraiture and a deeply domestic intimateness. There is no unnecessary ostentation: it is the model’s bearing, the quality of her hands, the delicacy of her face and the objects accompanying her that articulate her social position. Especially charming is the straw hat placed on the seat, accompanied by white and blue ribbons. This apparently ordinary detail introduces spontaneity into a composition carefully conceived and visually establishes a link between the figure and the exterior landscape. The alternation between interior and nature is fundamental. On the left we find the domestic gloom, with a table covered by decorative fabric and a vase; behind the sitter unfolds the large red drapery; finally, the composition opens onto a garden of soft greens and a blue sky. The result possesses that combination of academic precision, romantic sensitivity, and intimate observation characteristic of French portraiture of the period. The handling of the face deserves particular attention. The complexion is built with soft transitions, a frontal and serene gaze of notable psychological presence. The hands, the cap, the lace at the neck and the small jewels are treated with restrained precision that avoids purely decorative virtuosity. The artist Adrienne Marie Louise Grandpierre-Deverzy was a pupil and later collaborator of Abel de Pujol, who had himself been trained by Jacques-Louis David. She developed a considerable public career for a woman artist of her generation: she debuted at the Paris Salon in 1822 and received a third-class medal in 1836. Her production includes historical painting, interior scenes, and portraits. Works by Grandpierre-Deverzy are currently conserved in French institutions; the Louvre houses her monumental scene of Christina of Sweden and Monaldeschi, dated 1824 and deposited in Fontainebleau, while the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Valenciennes preserves her Intérieur de l'atelier d'Abel de Pujol of 1836. Her portraiture is likewise documented. Female portraits dated 1823, 1830, and during the 1840s are known, a circumstance that makes the work presented here particularly interesting within her known oeuvre. Signature and materials The inscription at the bottom is one of the painting’s most appealing features. It can be distinguished as “Mlle Grandpierre,” followed by a date that appears to correspond to 1840. The use of Mlle is historically coherent with the artist’s biography during this period, prior to her marriage to Abel de Pujol in 1856. Equally significant is the mark on the back of the canvas. Although partially concealed and worn, it allows recognition of references to a Parisian establishment and to rue de l'Arbre-Sec, known for housing suppliers of materials for artists. This information should be understood as a complementary material element and not as an independent certification of authorship. Taken together, we are looking at a French portrait of considerable elegance, magnificent decorative presence, and great historical interest, signed, dated, and accompanied by material details especially suggestive for the study of the work and of Grandpierre-Deverzy’s career. Shipping: the work will be professionally packed in a tailor-made crate with foam protections. We offer international shipping. Given the dimensions and characteristics of the piece, any potential surcharges for oversized shipments or destinations outside the European Union will be borne by the buyer. Frame: the frame is included as a gift with the work and, due to its antique and ornamental nature, will not be the subject of any claim.

Stima:€1,700

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