Rare oval miniature painted on ivory, signed on the right "Jacques.", Depicting the future king Louis-Philippe in a face bust, the head slightly turned to the left, in the uniform of a colonel of the Hussars, wearing the cord and the plaque of the order of the Holy Spirit.
Very good condition.
Restauration period, circa 1820.
In its original ormolu frame surmounted by a Louis XVI style ribboned knot attributed to Giroux.
H. 7.4 x L. 6 cm. Frame: H. 13 x L. 9 cm.
Nicolas JACQUES (1788-1844), a pupil of David and Isabella, will be active until the 1830s. He is very quickly introduced to prestigious customers, he was indeed one of the best miniaturists of his time, exhibiting at the Salon from 1804 to 1844. After emancipating himself from his master Isabey, for having copied the effigies of Marie-Louise and Napoleon, he painted his own originals for his customers, and became one of the suppliers of the family of 'Orleans. We owe him the superb malachite and gilded bronze music box from 1825, adorned with 11 medallions with portraits of the family of Louis-Philippe, gift from Madame Adélaïde to the Duke of Bourbon on the occasion of the baptism of their godson, the Duke d'Aumale, kept at the Château de Chantilly (inv. OA1743, ill. 1).
- A variant of our miniature measuring 7.3 cm high, mounted on a bezel, appeared in the collections of the Count and the Countess of Paris, sale Christie's Paris, October 14, 2008, lot 436 (auctioned for € 8.750, ill. 2).
- A very close miniature measuring 8 x 5.7 cm is kept at the Louvre Museum (INV27238, ill. 3).
- A miniature representing him half-length and measuring 15.5 x 12 cm is kept at the Louvre Museum (INV27237, ill. 4).
- Another version dated 1818 showing him half-length and measuring 9.3 x 7.3 cm is kept in the collection of the Queen of England (RCIN 420346, ill. 5).
Jean-Richard Pierrette, Inventory of miniatures on ivory kept in the Cabinet des Drawings, Louvre Museum and Orsay Museum, Paris, RMN, 1994, n° 384, p. 211.