626

Circle of Jean-Joseph Vaudechamp (French/Louisiana, 1790-1866), "Portrait of a Creole Beauty," ca. 1832-1836,

oil on linen, cut and relined on canvas, unsigned, presented in a giltwood frame,
H.- 8 1/8 in., W.- 10 in., Framed- H.- 12 in., W.- 10 1.8 in.

  • Provenance: The Estate of Laura Simon Nelson, formerly married to Dr. James W. Nelson, Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

    Note: According to the Costume Institute with the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the brightly patterned dress and large gigot sleeves, seen here in this portrait, were French in design (gigot translates to leg of muton), and flourished in the American fashion world for a brief period from ca. 1832-1836. Characterized by off-the-shoulder voluminous sleeves that tapered to fitted lower arms, they accentuated the illusion of a narrow waist line. The typical v-neck and full skirt further contributed to the slimming aesthetic, while showcasing the abundance of the textile industry at the command of cotton factors and merchants. By the late 1830s, the style was replaced by tightly fitted sleeves.

    In this lot the Creole beauty is an affluent young woman, a veritable debutant, born c. 1812-1818. Her portrait resembles members of the Marigny de Mandeville and Villere families; and other examples of her dress can be seen in Jean-Joseph Vaudechamp's portraits from the 1830s, such as "Mrs. Samuel Bell" (1832) and "Portrait of a Lady" (1834) that sold at Neal Auction on Feb. 2, 2023. Self-contained compositions that aggrandize the sitter through size (the viewer looks upward, and the sitter occupies the majority of the picture plane) are characteristic of Vaudechamp's portraits. Additionally, the sitters are set against an earthen umber/dark green backdrop or an ethereal glimmer of a setting sun/landscape (also self-contained). The background of this portrait further possesses both of these qualities- even the green drapery is present in other works of the period by Vaudechamp: for example, the 1830 portrait of the Marquis de la Moussaye, the 1832 portrait of Charles Jules Colheux de Longpre Fitzgerald or the 1840 portrait of Etienne Mazureau. This Creole beauty, rare and scintillating in dress, sultry and haughty in her direct and unapologetic gaze, is deserving of further research, as she is probably a study for a larger portrait, and certainly within the circle and brush of Vaudechamp.
  • Condition: Condition is not stated in the description of the item. The absence of a condition report does not mean that the item is free of damage or condition issues. Some items do show signs of age or wear. CCAG strongly suggests that you do not bid without requesting a condition report. Requests for condition reports will not be honored after 5 p.m. CST on the Tuesday prior to the auction.

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November 9, 2024 10:00 AM CST
New Orleans, LA, US

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