Elisabeth-Louise Vigée Le Brun

Count Siemontkowski, Chateau de Koustyn, Valonie, Russia;
Baron Thomitz, Paris;
Newhouse Galleries, New York;
Private collection, New York, by 1977;
Anonymous sale, ('Property from an Estate'), New York, Sotheby's, 19 May 1995, lot 187, for $178,500, where acquired by the present owner.

New York, Ehrich Galleries, January 1915.

Memoirs of Madame Vigee Lebrun, 1903, p. 223 (the Countess only);
W. H. Helm, Vigee Lebrun: Her Life, Works, and Friendships, London 1915, p.190 and Appendix;
J. Mycielski and S. Wasylewski, Potrety polskie Elzbiety Vigee-Lebrun, 1755-1842, Lwów 1927, reproduced.

The signed pair of portraits has been recently cleaned, restored and relined. They are offered in later reproduction carved wooden frames with minor losses but in good condition. The paint surfaces appear to the naked eye to be in good overall condition but somewhat flattened by the relining and some of the darker tones are rather sunken. Some discoloured retouchings can be made out scattered in the backgrounds. Inspection under UV light reveals a restored, vertical tear of 15cm. to the left of her head. Other discoloured retouchings can be made out, for example in his tunic, scattered in his face, as well as in her hair. Could hang now.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

In 1789, after fleeing France in the wake of ruinous public opinion and the even more sobering march of the Parisian mobs on Versailles, Vigée Le Brun set out for Italy on what would turn out to be twelve years of exile from France. Seeking refuge under the auspices of Count Wilczek, the Austrian ambassador to Milan, she heeded his advice to move to Vienna on 14 April 1792 settling in a rented house in the suburbs of the city (Huitzing). Upon her arrival she was warmly greeted in aristocratic circles and in recognition of her talents she quickly received numerous commissions from distinguished Polish and Austrian nobles. Amongst those sitters were the Count and Countess of Bystry, the former depicted here playing the guitar, the latter holding a goblet, in the guise of Hebe. Together they are rendered in Le Brun’s distinctive style characterised by a warm powdery palette, and a smooth handling of paint. Although typically Viennese in their half-length format, we can see in these portraits the beginnings of a new style which would find form in her later career in Russia. Conceived as solitary figures, modestly attired and gazing directly at the viewer, these portraits display an intensity and sparseness in keeping with the Romantic era’s emphasis on the individual.