Studio of François Clouet

Probably collection of Eugène Kraemer;
Probably his sale Collections Eugène Kraemer. Troisième vente. Tableaux anciens des écoles primitives et de la Renaissance..., Paris, Galerie Georges Petit, Maîtres Lair Dubreuil and Baudoin, 2-5 June 1913, lot 6 (dimensions in the catalogue are 30 by 23 cm);
Collection of Pierre-Yves Gabus,  
His sale, Geneva, Hôtel Président, 8 December 1991, lot 3040.

A. Zvereva, La Collection de portraits au crayon de Catherine de Médicis. Reconstitution et analyse socio-culturelle, thèse de doctorat, Université Paris-Sorbonne, 2005, t.IV, p.2217-2219 (rep. as comp. for the Portrait of Charles III duc de Lorraine et de Bar after Clouet - Musée du Louvre inv.33.436.)

The following condition report has been provided by Simon Parkes of Simon Parkes Art Conservation, Inc. 502 East 74th St. New York, NY 212-734-3920, simonparkes@msn.com, an independent restorer who is not an employee of Sotheby's. This panel is unreinforced on the reverse. The paint layer is stable and the panel is flat. The varnish is quite dull. The condition seems to be good within the face of the figure. The ruff seems to be well preserved, as is the feather in the hat. Under ultraviolet light, one can see that the painting was cleaned and retouched in the upper right corner. It seems that there may be some vertical retouching throughout the picture beneath an old varnish addressing some thinness to the paint layer, which may well extend into the dark colors of the coat and the hat. The picture will look better if it is cleaned and restored.
"This lot is offered for sale subject to Sotheby's Conditions of Business, which are available on request and printed in Sotheby's sale catalogues. The independent reports contained in this document are provided for prospective bidders' information only and without warranty by Sotheby's or the Seller."

This portrait is probably based on a lost drawing or painting by the master of circa 1571-1572.  A drawing of this same composition, also thought to be after Clouet, is in the collection of the Musée du Louvre, Département des Arts graphiques (Inv.33.436.).  The sitter, Charles III, Duc de Lorraine (1543-1608), was documented in Paris during this period for the marriage of Charles IX and Elisabeth of Austria in November 1570, and remained there until the end of January 1571.  He also came to Paris in August 1572 to attend the wedding of Marguerite of France to Henri de Navarre.  Assuming there was an original Clouet portrait upon which this work is based, it would be datable as one of his last works and done shortly before his death in September of 1572.  At this time, Clouet’s studio was thriving and Jean Decourt, who after Clouet’s death replaced him as court painter, was his most important accomplice.  Though there is little documentation on Decourt, he was probably a pupil and collaborator of Clouet’s, and some aspects of the present work reflect his influence, especially the rendering of the jewelry and costume.

Charles was the son of Francis I of Lorraine and Christina of Denmark.  His reign was noted for its progress and prosperity.  He reformed the duchy’s judiciary and finances and encouraged economic development.  In 1572, he founded a university at Pont-à- Mousson and enlarged Nancy as his capital.

We are grateful to Alexandra Zvereva, who has examined this portrait firsthand, for her assistance in cataloguing this lot.