Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres

Aristide-Laurent Dumont, Paris (d. 1853);
by descent to his brother, Bias Dumont (d. 1878);
given by him to Dr. Henry Gillet, Melun (d. 1907);
by descent to his wife, Mme. Henry Gillet, née Marie-Adelphine Martinot, Paris (d. 1935);
Galerie de Bayser, Paris (acquired through an intermediary from the Gillet family);
from whom acquired by present owner, 2002

Paris, Chambre Syndicale de la Curiosité et des Beaux-Arts, Ingres, 1921, no. 228 (lent by Mme Gillet)

H. de Chennevières, 'François Dumont miniaturiste de la reine Marie-Antoinette', in Gazette des Beaux-Arts, 1 March, 1903, p. 190 (as belonging to Dr. Gillet and illustrated with the Chauvet heliogravure);
P. Bonnefon, 'Lettres inédites d'Ingres', Revue bleue, Paris, 4 July, 1908, p. 9 (letter from Ingres to Dumont);
H. Bouchot, La miniature française, 1750-1825, Paris 1910, p. 31;
H. Naef, Die Bildniszeichungen von J.-A.-D. Ingres, Bern 1980, vol. III, pp. 105-113 (heliogravure reproduced p. 109) and vol. V, pp. 166-167, p. 204, no. 357 (illustrated again with the heliogravure)

The following condition report was kindly provided by Alvarez Fine Art Services, Inc.: This drawing was originally executed on a paper support and thereafter folded at its edges around a second board or perhaps upon a thin stretcher. This accounts for the change in color at the edges of the work. It has since been removed and mounted to a new secondary support that appears to be acid-free in nature. Structurally it is in excellent condition, without tears, punctures or any planar distortions. It should be noted, however, there is a subtle radiated foxing spot at the center of the right edge, but it is not visually offensive at this time and any intervention to clean this drawing now may be considered premature.
"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 very beautiful and direct portrait was drawn in 1834, four years after Ingres drew her husband, posed in military uniform (see lot 135).  The Dumonts were close friends of Ingres and his affection for them is reflected in his correspondence.  He refers to his drawing of Mme Dumont in a letter to her husband dated Rome, 9 March 1835, in which he regrets that it is not worthy of her.¹  He also writes with great tenderness a letter of condolence to M. Dumont on the death of his wife (dated 25 July 1840).²

Mme Dumont was the daughter of a zoologist, perhaps Louis Dufresne the famous Chef des travaux zoologiques at the Jardin du Roi, although it has not been proven.  Nor is it evident whether she was related to Baudouin-Henry Dufresne of whom Ingres did a portrait and who was the brother-in-law of Baron Gros.  She married Aristide Dumont in 1821 and died young, at 46, on 27 May 1840.  She was an artist herself, making watercolours of flowers, fruits and shells, some of which were included in the sale of her husband's estate in 1854.  Mme. Dumont wears a fashionable dress of  the 1830s with a high waist and so-called 'gigot' sleeves.  The general simplicity of her costume draws attention to her elaborate hairstyle. 

As the Dumonts were childless, the portaits were left to Aristide's brother Bias, who in turn gave them, two years before his own death, to Dr. Gillet who had been a friend of his recently deceased son.  They remained in the Gillet family, but were not seen for many years and were only known through heliogravures by Chauvet which Naef and others use to illustrate their catalogues.

The edges of the sheet and the way in which Mme Dumont's hands are placed on the page indicate that Ingres must have prepared his paper on some kind of stretcher and then done the portrait directly onto it.  See also lots 135 and 139.

1.  See Naef, op. cit., vol. III, p. 109

2.  See Naef, op. cit., vol. III, p. 112