Comtesse de Feuquières
Bust
ca.1738 (made)
ca.1738 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
In 1738, Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne (1704-1778; the Younger; his father was also a sculptor) exhibited at the Salon a terracotta bust of Catherine Mignard (1652-1742), Comtesse de Feuquières, daughter of Pierre Mignard. In 1735 the Comtesse had commissioned Lemoyne to execute a monument to her father, which should include his bust by François Girardon and a statue of herself mourning his death. Completed in 1744 it was placed in the church of the Jacobins, Rue St Honoré, Paris. At the Revolution it was dismembered and partly destroyed, but the Girardon bust was set up later on a bracket in the church of St Roch and much later the bust of the Comtesse was set up alongside the bust of her father.
It has been suggested (Réau, Les Lemoyne, 1927) that this V&A bust was the preparatory sketch for the bust exhibited at the Salon, presumably because of its sketchy appearance, but it might perhaps be the 1738 Salon bust itself. Lemoyne excelled in portrait busts in marble and terracotta and this is a particularly lively example of his work.
It has been suggested (Réau, Les Lemoyne, 1927) that this V&A bust was the preparatory sketch for the bust exhibited at the Salon, presumably because of its sketchy appearance, but it might perhaps be the 1738 Salon bust itself. Lemoyne excelled in portrait busts in marble and terracotta and this is a particularly lively example of his work.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Comtesse de Feuquières (assigned by artist) |
| Materials and techniques | terracotta, modelled |
| Brief description | Bust, sketch-model, terracotta, of Comtesse de Feuquières, by Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne, France, ca. 1738 |
| Physical description | The head of this terracotta bust is turned slightly to the subject's left. She wears a veil over her hair. The bust terminates with drapery around the base of the neck. The back part of the veil is modelled and fired separately. The bust is unsigned. The bust is set on a circular white marble socle. |
| Dimensions |
|
| Gallery label | The Comtesse de Feuquières
About 1738
This bust was a study for a full-length portrait of the Comtesse de Feuquières. She commissioned it for a monument to her father, Pierre Mignard, court painter to Louis XIV. As she requested, it portrays her as a grieving daughter. She sheds a tear of grief from her left eye, her hair is covered by a veil, and she is probably wearing mourning dress.
France (Paris)
By Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne
Terracotta
The Encyclopédie, Vol. 4, 1754:
‘Mourning, a distinctive garment worn to express one’s sadness in times of misfortune, most commonly for funeral ceremonies. Each nation has had its reason for choosing a certain colour to identify the mourner. In France, the law of 1730 reduced the longest period of mourning to three months, with the exception of mourning for husband and wife, father, mother, grandparents and legatees.’(09/12/2015) |
| Object history | In 1738 Lemoyne exhibited at the Salon a terracotta bust of Comtesse de Feuquières, daughter of Pierre Mignard. In 1735 she had commissioned Lemoyne to execute a monument to her father, to include his bust by Girardon and a statue of herself mourning his death. Completed in 1744 it was placed in the church of the Jacobins, Rue St Honoré. At the Revolution it was dismembered and partly destroyed, but the Girardon bust was set up later on a bracket in the church of St Roch and much later the bust of the Comtesse was set up alongside the bust of her father. It has been suggested (Réau, Les Lemoyne, 1927) that this V&A bust was the preparatory sketch for the bust exhibited at the Salon, presumably because of its sketchy appearance, but it might perhaps be the 1738 Salon bust itself. Previously in the collection of David Weill (where it was known as Mlle. Clairon). Bought at Sotheby's on July 3rd, 1959, lot 63 (Property of a Gentleman). Lemoyne excelled in portrait busts in marble and terracotta and this is a particularly lively example of his work. |
| Subject depicted | |
| Summary | In 1738, Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne (1704-1778; the Younger; his father was also a sculptor) exhibited at the Salon a terracotta bust of Catherine Mignard (1652-1742), Comtesse de Feuquières, daughter of Pierre Mignard. In 1735 the Comtesse had commissioned Lemoyne to execute a monument to her father, which should include his bust by François Girardon and a statue of herself mourning his death. Completed in 1744 it was placed in the church of the Jacobins, Rue St Honoré, Paris. At the Revolution it was dismembered and partly destroyed, but the Girardon bust was set up later on a bracket in the church of St Roch and much later the bust of the Comtesse was set up alongside the bust of her father. It has been suggested (Réau, Les Lemoyne, 1927) that this V&A bust was the preparatory sketch for the bust exhibited at the Salon, presumably because of its sketchy appearance, but it might perhaps be the 1738 Salon bust itself. Lemoyne excelled in portrait busts in marble and terracotta and this is a particularly lively example of his work. |
| Bibliographic reference | T.Hodgkinson, French 18th century Portrait Sculpture in the V&A Museum, in: V&A Yearbook 3, 1972, p.100 |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | A.25-1959 |
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| Record created | March 31, 2009 |
| Record URL |
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