Enamel on copper, painted in coloured enamels with portraits of Louis XIV, the Dauphin and his wife, and the Marquis de Louvois, between figures of captives.

Circular concave inkstand with central well surrounded by six quill holes. Black enamel on copper painted in coloured enamels and gilt and signed in gold beneath. Four portraits are painted each in the form of an oval medallion with white border. They are spaced evenly, facing outwards to the inkstand rim. Their format resembles contemporary portrait miniature work but the manner of framing each personage with his/her name in gilded capital letters, implies that Laudin almost certainly copied them from print sources (engraved oval portraits with the sitter's name running round the engraved frame) as follows:

Louis XIV, King of France (b.1638, d.1715) - possibly after a 1670 engraving by Robert Nanteuil (1623-78)

The 'Grand Dauphin' Louis (1661-1711), eldest son and heir of Louis XIV and grandfather of Louis XV - probably from a print source after an oil painting by Pierre Mignard (1612-95). A Robert Nanteuil engraving of 1677 is similar but not identical and was itself used as the model for a portrait by Jean Petitot the elder (1607-91) in the Louvre museum, inv. no. 35683.

The Dauphine, Marie Anne Christine Victoire of Bavaria (1660-90), who married the Dauphin in 1680 - reminiscent of a 1680s miniature by Jean Petitot (1607-91) in the V&A collections (mus. no. 657-1882) but more probably derives either from a 1683 engraving by an unknown artist of which a copy is in the Bibliothèque Nationale, Paris, or alternatively from a 1685 portrait by Nicolas de Larmessin (1632-94)

François-Michel Le Tellier, Marquis de Louvois (1641-91), French Secretary of State for War from 1666 until his death - probably copied from a 1677 engraving by Robert Nanteuil. The Maltese cross emblem on Louvois' robe may be the cross of the Order of St. Lazarus (Louvois was Vicar-General of this Order) or more probably the Order of the St. Esprit (Holy Spirit) of which he was made Chancellor in 1671.

Between the portrait medallions are painted in grisaille with additional flesh, crimson and turquoise tones and gilding, four representations of captives with trophies of war. These probably derive from a frieze print of Bellona, the Roman goddess of War, and another of La Victoire, an allegorical figure of Victory, both by Etienne Delaune (ca.1519-1583). Bellona took inspiration from a Léon Davent engraving after the Italian Fontainebleau School artist Primaticcio. Delaune would also have known engravings of trophies by Enea Vico. Ultimately, the figures of captives and trophies derive from Ancient Roman sculpture such as the reliefs on Trajan's Column and the Dacian captives flanking the Arch of Constantine, both in Rome.

Delaune's Ancient Roman-themed engravings celebrated the military exploits of Henri II (1519-59). They have been appropriated by Laudin to celebrate the campaigns of Louis XIV, his son Louis, and his minister Louvois. The Laudin workshop produced several series of medallion portraits of the Caesars. The placing on this inkstand of medallion portraits of the royal family and Louvois over trophies and captives almost certainly pays homage to the King as modern imperial victor.

Bought from William Chaffers in 1855 for £66 12s. 0d. Exhibited by the V&A (then South Kensington Museum) in the Special Loan Exhibition,1874, cat. no. 630.

Formerly in the collection of the writer, diplomat, artist, archeologist, and first Director of the Louvre Museum, Paris, Dominique-Vivant, Baron de Denon. Sale, Paris, 1826, no.767 (see references).

Before the 17th century, inkstands were quite an unusual object type for Limoges painted enamels. Their prevalence increases somewhat with Louis XIV's reign when they were semi-luxury goods in comparison with goldsmiths' work.

Though this inkstand is undated, integral clues lead to the presumption that it was made in 1680s, and most likely 1685-89. Marie Anne Christine Victoire of Bavaria married the Grand Dauphin in 1680 and the her representation here is probably after an engraving of 1683 or 1685. By 1690, she was dead. The Queen Maria-Theresa's portrait is absent - she died in 1683. Louvois' portrait is probably after a Nanteuil engraving of 1677, and Louvois died in 1691. He reached the height of his power after Colbert's death in 1683, taking on Colbert's former ministry for public buildings, and with the Truce of Ratisbon in 1684 when Spain recognised French possession of Strasbourg, Luxembourg and Oudenarde. Following the formation of the League of Augsburg against the French, Louis XIV entrusted his son with the Palatinate campaign of 1688. As further context, Louis XIV declared Versailles the official residence of the Court and seat of government in 1682 and by 1686 Le Brun had completed the decoration of the War Drawing- Room (which celebrated the military victories leading to the Peace of Nijmegen of 1678). For this room, royal sculptor Antoine Coysevox (1640-1720) created an oval stucco bas relief 'Louis XIV on horseback riding in triumph over his enemies', supported by two gilded captives with trophies. The ceiling by Charles Le Brun (1619-90) depicts 'France in arms seated on a cloud surrounded by Victories'. Her shield bears a portrait of the King and the conquered enemies Germany, Spain and Holland are represented in the ceiling coves.

The merchant enameller Jacques II Laudin (ca.1663-1729) joined the workshop of his uncle Jacques I Laudin (ca.1627-1695) in 1685. Jacques I had inherited it from his father Noel in 1681. The workshop was in the Faubourg Magnine, Limoges, in the parish of St. Maurice in the Cité. Jacques II succeeded his uncle there at the latter's death in 1695. Jacques II's father Nicholas was also an enameller. During the period 1685-90 when this inkstand was most likely made, both Jacques I and his nephew were using the same initials 'I.L' to sign their work. However, Suzanne Netzer (see reference) suggests that Jacques II's work can be distinguished by the use of delicate washes and finely-shaded modelling on his figures and Thierry Crépin-Leblond (Director of the Musée National de la Renaissance, Ecouen) suggests that the delicate rendering of the portraits on the V&A inkstand bear comparison with the painting of his later signed enamels illustrating illustrious women. Certainly in a period of variable quality Limoges enamel painting, broadly declining from its 16th century zenith, this piece shows that highly-skilled work could still be produced.

This inkstand with central well for ink and six holes for quills is signed underneath by Jacques Laudin (ca.1663-1729), a merchant enameller in the city of Limoges, central France. He joined the workshop of his uncle of the same name in 1685, inheriting the business ten years later. Before the seventeenth century, inkstands were an unusual object type in the production of Limoges painted enamels but by the reign of Louis XIV, small-scale semi-luxury useful goods were increasingly being made. With royal patronage on the wane, the enamellers needed to appeal to a broader market.

The four portraits in oval medallions are almost certainly copied from print sources but resemble contemporary portrait miniature work in enamels. They depict King Louis XIV (b.1638, d.1715) himself; his eldest son and heir, also Louis, known as the 'Grand Dauphin' (1661-1711); the Dauphine, Marie Anne Christine Victoire of Bavaria (1660-90) who married the Dauphin in 1680; and François-Michel Le Tellier, Marquis de Louvois (1641-91), French Secretary of State for War from 1666 until his death. The presence of these portraits dates the inkstand to 1680s, and most likely to 1685-89 at which period Jacques Laudin was working alongside his uncle. Curiously, the Dauphin is somewhat prematurely referred to as ‘Louis XV’ here, although it was actually his grandson who eventually became the next king, as both the Dauphin and his son predeceased Louis XIV.

Four captives with trophies of war sit between the portrait medallions. They are painted in grisaille with additional flesh, crimson and turquoise tones and gilding. They probably derive from two frieze prints by Etienne Delaune (ca.1519-1583), one featuring Bellona, the Roman goddess of War, and the other La Victoire, an allegorical figure of Victory. Inspired by the work of Italian artists Primaticcio and Enea Vico, the figures and captives ultimately derive from Ancient Roman sculpture such as the reliefs on Trajan's Column and the Dacian captives flanking the Arch of Constantine. While Delaune’s engravings celebrated the military exploits of King Henri II (1519-59), Laudin has appropriated his images to celebrate the campaigns of Louis XIV, his son Louis, and his minister Louvois, thereby paying homage to the King as successor to the Caesars.

It is not known who the first owner of this inkstand was but he was likely to have been a royal official or minister of state who was given it as a mark of gratitude for good service on leaving office. A later owner was Dominique-Vivant, Baron de Denon, the writer, diplomat, artist and archaeologist who became first Director of the Louvre Museum, Paris.

2832-1855