Graphite on paper.

Oval view drawing, signed lower right "Gounod del(ineavit).", forming a pair with the portrait of the Duchesse d'Angoulême.

The Count d'Artois here wears the uniform of Colonel General of the National Guard of the Kingdom of France (a title he has held since 1814), and wears his many decorations: the Golden Fleece, the cord and the plaque of the Order of the Holy Spirit, the cross of the Military and Royal Order of Saint-Louis and the Lys decoration (which was only distributed to the National Guards).

Rectangular frame in gilded wood with palm leaves.

H. 18,2 x L. 14 cm.

Frame : H. 34,5 x L. 30,5 cm.

English private collection.

The British provenance of these leaves may lead us to believe that they were executed there before 1814, since the future Charles X and his niece and daughter-in-law the Duchess of Angoulême lived there in exile until 1814: Marie-Thérèse au Hartwell Castle where she resided since 1807 with her uncle Louis XVIII, while Charles-Philippe resided in London from 1799, first at 46 Baker Street, then from 1805 to 1814 at 72 South Audley Street.

Painter of genre and portraits, François Louis Gounod was a student of Nicolas-Bernard Lépicié (1735-1784) and entered the school of the Royal Academy in 1778. He is the father of the famous composer Charles Gounod (1818-1893) . He exhibited at the Salon from 1799 to 1822, and notably presented at the Salon of 1814 a portrait of S. A. R. the Duchess of Angoulême (n° 459).