Portrait Of The Comtesse Vilain XIIII And Her Daughter

Portrait Of The Comtesse Vilain XIIII And Her Daughter

Portrait Of The Comtesse Vilain XIIII And Her Daughter by Jacques-Louis David can be found just above eye level near Argos on Howard Street. The original is housed in the National Gallery, London and the following is their description about the painting "The Comtesse Vilain XIIII (1780 - 1853) is shown with her five-year-old daughter, Louise. The portrait was painted in Brussels during the first year of David's exile there after the fall of Napoleon. Like David, the Comtesse was associated with the Napoleonic cause. Her husband, Philippe Vilain XIIII was ennobled by Napoleon in 1811. The Comtesse was formerly lady-in-waiting to the Empress Marie-Louise and had held one of the paraphernalia (probably the water vessel) at the baptism of Napoleon's son, the King of Rome. The Comtesse described her sittings for the artist in a series of letters to her husband. Although she complained about the length of these she was happy with the portrait when it was completed." The National Gallery also says this about the artist "Jacques-Louis David was the leading painter in France of the Neo-classical movement. He became a member of the Academy in 1783, winning fame in the 1780s with a series of paintings, including 'The Oath of the Horatii' (Paris, Louvre, 1785), notable for their austerity of design and theme. At the same time he became known for his accomplished portraits. David was born in Paris and trained by the classicising artist Marie-Joseph Vien, before spending the years 1775-80 in Rome, where he returned during 1784-5. He took an active part in the Revolution of 1789, being elected a deputy to the new parliament, and he was instrumental in the abolition of the Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture. He was briefly imprisoned in 1794/5.

His successive images of Napoleon as general, consul and emperor helped to glorify the French leader. From the outbreak of the Revolution to the fall of Napoleon, David and the members of his studio exercised a major influence over the arts in France. After Napoleon's final defeat in 1815 he continued to paint in exile in Brussels, where he died."

Jun, 02, 2015

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