Estimate

10.000 - 20.000

Session 2

28 May 2024

Hammer Price

Description

Watercolour on paper
C. 1792-1794
(small flaws)

60,5x47 cm

Category

Paintings

NOTE

Although lacking a signature or date, the affiliation of this large opaque watercolour painting, remarkably well-finished and miniature-like in quality, to the French portrait tradition during the transition to neoclassicism is evident. Numerous French artists were drawn to the allure of wealth at the Portuguese court, particularly from the reign of King João V (1706-1750) onwards, leading to their settlement in the country throughout the eighteenth century. Among them were notable figures such as Pierre-Antoine Quillard (ca. 1703-1733), a royal portraitist, Jean-Baptiste Robillon (1704-1782), an architect and landscaper, and perhaps the most famous French painter- decorator in Portugal during the latter half of the eighteenth century, Jean- Baptiste Pillement (1728-1808). Among the contemporary French artists during Pillement’s sojourn in Portugal, notable figures include the landscape painter Alexandre Jean Noël (1752-1843) and Nicolas-Louis Albert Delerive (1755-1818).
A comparison, even if cursory, between our Portrait of the Family of the 2nd Marquis of Pombal and Delerive’s portrayal of the O’Crowley family, painted in Cadiz around 1797, unequivocally confirms the authorship of our remarkable painting. Not only do we observe a similar overall composition capturing a fleeting moment of familial and everyday life, but also identical poses and gestures among the depicted figures, including attendants delivering correspondence. Furthermore, both paintings share a characteristic low placement of the horizon line, resulting in a very characteristic and individual downward perspective of the intricately patterned flooring. The attention to material culture and the objects chosen by both families to represent themselves is evident, as is the desire to reflect shift from rococo to neoclassical simplicity. Similarly, both works exhibit a meticulous attention to detail in the rendering of facial features, sharp delineation of clothing, portraying various textile textures, and an equal care in depicting jewellery and other accessories. Notably, both compositions feature elaborate interior decoration elements in the background, such as the figurative porcelain (biscuit) set in the Pombal family portrait and the Chinese ceramic figures and clock in the O’Crowley family portrait. Unlike our composition, the O’Crowley portrait bears a signature. Once in a private collection in Madrid, it is now known only through two photographs - one house at the Institut d’Art Hispànic in Barcelona (inv. G-38198) and another, a photograph of Casa Moreno from the Spanish Civil War period, archived in the Fototeca del Patrimonio Histórico, Archivo Información Artística - Junta Tesoro (inv. AJP-0151). Unfortunately lost, the oil portrait of the O’Crowleys, featuring Pedro Alonso O’Crowley O’Donnel (1740-1817), an antique dealer and merchant of Irish descent established in Cadiz, serves as a significant testament to Delerive’s affluent clientele during his brief Spanish tenure - see Antón Solé 1966; and Millán Fuentes 2016, pp. 52-54. Born in Lille on March 22, 1755, and of Spanish descent, Delerive received his artistic training under the guidance of the German portraitist and miniaturist Johann Julius Heinsius (1740-1812) - for the biography of our painter, see Saldanha 2016. Departing from his hometown in 1776, he initially travelled to Artois, where he spent two years working for the Counts of Neuville. He establishes himself as a painter of landscapes, battles, and genre scenes, genres that enjoyed considerable popularity during that era period. In 1778, Delerive relocated to Paris, where he continued his artistic education under the tutelage of the Italian painter Francesco Giuseppe Casanova (1727-1803), remaining there until the outbreak of the revolution. A notable work from this period is this portrait of an unidentified couple, painted on canvas (121.0 x 94.0 cm) signed and dated 1778, which was auctioned at Christie’s in June 1999, and more recently in 2016. This painting, bearing striking similarities to our own in composition, posture, facial rendering, and depiction of the pavement, further attests to Delerive’s artistic style during his Parisian sojourn. Seeking new patrons following the upheaval of the revolution, Delerive arrived in Lisbon in 1792, where he remained until 1797 before briefly returning to Spain, where he had previously resided from 1790 to 1792. During his time in Spain, he painted full portraits of the Duke of Infantado and the Marquesa de Santa Cruz. Delerive returned to the Lisbon court around 1800, spending the remaining years of his life in the city until his death in June 1818. It was during this second period in Portugal that Delerive, known as Nicolau Luis Alberto Delariva, garnered greater recognition among the kingdom’s elite circles. Numerous portraits of the royal family executed by Delerive have survived, including a half-length portrait of the Prince Regent, the future King
João VI (1767-1826), rendered in oil on canvas around 1803. This work exhibits the same meticulous attention to detail and precision in portraying the subject’s ceremonial jewellery (Palácio Nacional de Queluz, inv. PNQ 249A). Another notable portrait of the same king, depicted in full-length seated on a rococo-style fauteil, was completed in 1805 (Palácio Nacional da Ajuda, Lisbon, inv. 59167) - see França 1999, p. 143; and Saldanha 2016, p. 24. However, the most remarkable among these portraits is undoubtedly the Equestrian Portrait of João VI, from around 1805 (Palácio Nacional da Ajuda, inv. 487). This monumental painting (306.0 x 246.0 cm) showcases the same distinctive rendering of the flesh tones observed in our watercolour portrait, as well as an exceptional ability to faithfully depict fabrics and
the jewellery adorning the monarch. During this period, Delerive was also involved in the decoration of the Picadeiro Régio de Belém, while catering
to the aristocracy as a painter, art restorer, and dealer in antique paintings. Noteworthy for its depiction of the city’s social life and customs is the painting Feira da Ladra na Praça da Alegria, an oil on canvas composition from around 1810 (Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga, Lisbon, inv. 1700 Pint). Delerive’s oeuvre provides valuable insights into the history of Lisbon and its inhabitants, as evidenced by his quick studies, sketches, and watercolours, which are preserved in albums at the Museu de Lisboa and the Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga - see Saldanha 2016, pp. 22 et seq.
Based on Delerive's biography, our Family Portrait of the 2nd Marquis of Pombal can be dated to around 1792-1794, aligning with the timeframe proposed by Lourenço Correia de Matos regarding the identification of the depicted individuals and their ages. This previously unknown painting serves as a significant testament not only to Delerive’s early years of activity in Portugal, having recently arrived from post-revolutionary Paris, but also to his remarkable ability to secure patronage from the highest echelons of Portuguese nobility. Our composition stands as a poignant reflection of the aristocratic families of the Ancien Régime whom Delerive had portrayed in France, showcasing the wealth and refinement of his clientele. Moreover, it encapsulates the aesthetic, social, and cultural transitions - first to Neoclassism and then to the burgeoning spirit of nineteenth-century modernity and the nascent currents of Proto-Romanticism - that he helped usher in Portugal.


LITERATURE:
Pablo Antón Solé, “El anticuario gaditano Pedro Alonso O’Crouley”, Archivo hispalense, 136 (1966), pp. 151-166; José Augusto França (ed.), D. João VI e o seu tempo (cat,), Lisboa Comissão Nacional para a Comemoração dos Descobrimentos Portugueses, 1999; José María Millán Fuentes, De Irlanda a Cádiz. Un viaje entre dos orillas (dissertação de licenciatura), Universidad de Málaga, 2016; Nuno Saldanha, “Nicolas-Louis Albert Delerive (1755-1818). A ascensão da Pintura de Género na génese do Proto-Romantismo, Artis, 4 (2016), pp. 18-27

Hugo Miguel Crespo
Centre for History, University of Lisbon

FAMILY SCENE PAINTING – MARQUISES OF POMBAL (LATE 18TH CENTURY)

The painting depicts a family scene, made up of nine family members, two ladies and seven gentlemen, and also a dog. The Carvalho’s coat of arms, surmounted by a marquis colonel, in the frame of the painting, as well as the representation, in an oil portrait, of the 1st Marquis of Pombal, Sebastião José de Carvalho e Melo (1699-1782), took us to the family of this statesman. Not being present at the scene, certainly because he had already died, he was still shown as a tutelary figure in the family. The same would happen, years later, in a portrait of the 2nd marquis, Henrique José, painted by Domenico Pellegrini, where Sebastião José was represented in a bust that his son indicates with his hand (Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation).
Judging by the time, these would be some of the children and sons-in-law of the aforementioned prime minister of King D. José, and his second wife D. Leonor Ernestina de Daun (1731-1789), portrayed, we believe, between 1789 and 1797, as we will try to demonstrate.
The two figures at the extremities of the canvas are servants of the house, with the one on the right being more important due to the richness of the costume, in which the heraldic detail of the representation of the Carvalho’s Coat of arms on the piping, sleeve, sleeve cannons and coat pocket deserves special attention. As it is not possible to identify the aforementioned servants, we do not fail to mention the names of three servants of the house who accompanied the 2nd marquises on the trip abroad (1782-1786), who would certainly be of the greatest trust and could be among those represented: João Miguel Adeodat Brion, Adrião José Lalonda and José Rodrigues
The first figure – from left to right of the viewer –, the most prominent in the painting and the only one in front and in full body, which is represented leaning and with his arm resting on the fireplace, is the 2nd Marquis of Pombal, Henrique José de Carvalho e Melo (1748-1812), son of the 1st holder. In addition to the habit (around the neck), richly represented with white stones, probably diamonds, and the plaque of the Order of Christ – of which he was a knight since 1767 and commander since 1783, after the death of his father – he has, in the right pocket of his coat, the chamberlain's key, as gentleman of the chamber, a role he performed as early as 1768 with the infant D. Pedro (future king consort D. Pedro III) and, at least since 1782, with Queen D. Maria I herself.
The second figure, very close to the 2nd marquis, is an ecclesiastic. We know that when traveling through Europe between 1782 and 1786, the 2nd marquises were accompanied, in addition to three servants and a maid, by António Álvares de Avelar Azevedo, a secular priest and his secretary, so this could be the priest represented in the family scene, showing a document to the head of the family.
Next, continuing with men, we find D. Cristóvão Manoel de Vilhena (1720-1797), husband of D. Maria Francisca Xavier Eva Anselma de Daun (1751-1816), daughter of the 1st marquis. Appearing to be considerably older than the other men portrayed, we identify him by the insignia he has around his neck, of the Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem, said to be of Malta, in which he was commander of Rossas – the Manoel de Vilhena family was closely linked to this Order: D. Cristóvão was the son and brother of knights, and grandnephew of the grand master D. António Manoel de Vilhena.
Next to D. Cristóvão, in a slightly lower plane, with his arm resting on the chair where one of the ladies is sitting, is João Vicente de Saldanha Oliveira e Sousa (1746-1804), future Count of Rio Maior, husband of another daughter of the 1st Marquis of Pombal, D. Maria Amália de Carvalho e Daun (1756-1812). Like his brother-in-law Henrique, represented with the plate and habit of the Order of Christ, this being represented by a jewel considerably less rich than that worn by the head of the Pombal house, and hanging from a narrower ribbon. He was a knight of this Order since 1769, inheriting his house's commendations on the death of his father that same year. The prominence given to him, in relation to his brothers-in-law D. Cristóvão and José Francisco, can be justified by the very close relationship he had with the 2nd marquis.
Finally, appearing less prominent, José Francisco Xavier Maria de Carvalho Melo e Daun (1753-1821), 1st Count of Redinha since 1776 and who would become 3rd Marquis of Pombal due to the death, without legitimate generation, of his brother Henry, 2nd marquis. He is not represented with any insignia, which he actually did not have as he only became a knight of the Order of Christ in 1803. Relations with his eldest brother were not always easy, which explains his relative subordination in this family portrait.
Sitting down, we believe that they are two daughters of the 1st Marquis, D. Maria Francisca Xavier Eva Anselma de Daun (1751-1816), wife of D. Cristóvão, and D. Maria Amália de Carvalho e Daun (1756-1812), wife of João Vicente de Saldanha. The first appears to be older than the second and in a protective posture over her sister, to whom she holds her hand. This gesture leads us to assume that the wives of the 2nd Marquis of Pombal and the 1st Count of Redinha were not sisters in law to each other.
Absent from this family portrait are the Counts of São Paio, the eldest daughter of the all-powerful Sebastião José, D. Teresa Violante Eva Judite de Daun (1746-1823), and her husband António de São Paio Melo e Castro Moniz Torres de Lusignan (1720-1803). The age of his brother-in-law D. Cristóvão, São Paio is therefore not compatible with any of the other figures represented. This absence could be explained by the couple's separation from the court, as between 1777 and 1788 they lived in Trás-os-Montes, the province of which he was governor of arms, and on this last date he was appointed governor of Torre do Outão, in Setúbal.
Given the identification of the personage, we can try to date the painting based on some elements that we now present: a) the 2nd marquis was already in Portugal, therefore being after February 1786; b) the Dowager Marchioness of Pombal, who died in the first days of 1789, and who we admit could, although not necessarily, be represented in a family scene with these characteristics is not represented; c) the use of plaques from the Order of Christ by the 2nd Marquis and João Vicente de Saldanha places the painting at a later date than the law of June 19, 1789 that reformed the Military Orders and introduced this new element for the dignity of commander ; d) D. Cristóvão Manoel de Vilhena still lived, who would die in 1797; although he is the oldest figure represented – he was born in 1720 –, he does not appear to be more than 70 years old; e) none of the remaining subjects appear to be 50 years old, with the oldest men, João Vicente de Saldanha and the 2nd marquis, being born in 1746 and 1748, respectively; f) the presence of neoclassical decorative elements – such as the fireplace irons, the table or the coffee maker – are in keeping with the last years of the 80s or, more likely, with the following decade. It should be noted, however, that the house had a good financial situation and that the 2nd Marquises of Pombal had returned from a trip to Europe, which leads us to believe that they were aware of the decorative fashions that were emerging at the time.
Therefore, we admit that the painting will date between 1789 and 1797, probably closer to the first date, considering the youthfulness of the majority of those portrayed, who would be between late thirties and early forties.


LOURENÇO CORREIA DE MATOS
LMT History and Heritage Consultants