Jean François Portaels

Borghi & Co., New York
Sale: Christie's, London, 14 June 2006, lot 25
Mathaf Gallery Ltd., London

The canvas has been re-lined. There are some very minor flecks of retouching visible under ultraviolet light, notably some flecks to the lower left corner. This work is in very good condition overall, with rich tones and fine detail. Held in a decorative, gold-painted moulded plaster and wood frame.
"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."

Portaels's debt to his teacher François Navez, the great Belgian neoclassical painter whose daughter he married, is clearly evident in his rigorously academic portraits. After honing his skills in the studio of Paul Delaroche in Paris, Portaels travelled to Spain, Morocco, Algeria, Egypt, and Palestine, which lent his subsequent paintings their orientalist flavour. 

As the critic Edmond Louis de Taeye noted, 'Portaels is and will remain the painter of worldly elegance and feminine grace... His portraits always have great allure...In the evolution of art in general, J. F. Portaels, as the head of a school [first of the Ghent Academy and later of the Brussels Academy], can immediately be placed side by side with François Navez.'