Henri-Pierre Danloux

Commissioned by the Lambert family from the artist, and thence by continuous descent to the present owner. 

Baron R. Portalis, Henri-Pierre Danloux, Peintre de Portraits et Son Journal Pendant l’Emigration, 1910, pp. 246-247, 418-436. 

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 charming work has not received the best conservation, and it would certainly improve with a complete re-examination. At present, the canvas has an amateurish lining, which is hardly supporting the original canvas. The cracking is quite noticeably raised throughout as a result. Although there is some visible abrasion to the paint layer, for instance the branch of the pine tree extending towards the neck of the child from the upper left and presumably in the darker colors of the foliage around the figure, the restoration is poorly directed. The structural damage in the red hoop is very poorly repaired and certainly gives a poor impression of the condition. If the lining were changed and the work cleaned and retouched accurately to address all the thinness and abrasion, the work would certainly significantly improve and reveal its good quality.
"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."

In his journal (published by Baron R. Portalis, see Literature), Danloux described in remarkable detail his meeting with the present sitter’s mother, Sophia Lambert (née Whyte; d.1839) as well as the commissioning and execution of not only the present portrait, but also that of Mrs. Lambert (sold Paris, Sotheby's, 19 June 2006, lot 79):

“I have had a visit from M. Dellon, who tells me he had dined the previous evening with Mme. Lambert, daughter-in-law of Chevalier Lambert, the Paris banker, at the home of the Margrave (Prince) of Anspach. A rendezvous was made at my home [June 15, 1795], because she wanted to see my works. She arrived just after, recognized all the portraits of her acquaintances, asked my price and said she would present her husband to me.”¹

Danloux also records the step by step process of the creation of this beautiful portrait, in eighteen seperate entries dating from 14 June to 3 August 1800, commenting not only on its progress, but also on the character of the young boy himself. Danloux’s day-by-day accounts of the execution of this work are less fully articulated, but no less informative, and even show his artistic process as he works through the painting of the hand:

"le 14 juin 1800 :  J’ai ébauché Lady Lambert et son fils.

 Le 18 juin 1800 : Mme Lambert m’envoie son fils par son mari. Je travaille à son portrait. L’enfant est fort bien élevé. Elle vient elle-même à deux heures. L’après diner j’ébauche le fond du tableau. 

 Le 24 juin 1800 :  Revenu chez moi, j’y trouve Sir Honble Lambert avec son fils. J’y travaille à peine, l’enfant ne se tenant pas. La mère arrive ensuite, mais je suis fatigué et je travaille à son portrait avec le même déplaisir… 

Le 28 juin 1800 :   Sir Honble Lambert vient avec son fils pour prendre séance.   L’enfant ne se tient pas ; Lady Lambert arrive et ne reste qu’une demie heure. 

 Le 1^er juillet 1800 :  Sir honble Lambert est venu, je finis l’habit de son fils. Je ne fais rien qui vaille et le recommencerai.

    Le portrait du jeune Lambert a été retrouvé chez le révérend W.H. Lambert, à Santon House près d’Hertford. Henry John Lambert, 5^e Baronnet, né en Aout 1792, avait alors 8 ans. La veste est gris français, la ceinture bleu clair, le col à jabot.  S. H. Lambert-Grey, Enville Hall, Stourbridge, possède plusieurs portraits de la famille de la main de Danloux. Celui de Lady Lambert est au pastel.

Le 5 juillet 1800 :  J’ai travaillé au petit Lambert ; je l’ai fini quant à la tête. 

 Le 7 juillet 1800 : Lady Lambert vient. Je la recommence et je la finis dans la matinée. Elle en est contente… 

 Le 8 juillet 1800 : Je retouche au petit Lambert. 

 Le 10 juillet 1800 :  Je travaille au fond du petit Lambert. 

 Le 17 juillet 1800 :  J’ébauche le corps de Lady Lambert. 

Le 19 juillet 1800 :  Je travaille encore au portrait du petit Lambert que son père m’amène, voulant toujours voir si il y a quelque chose à y faire. Il me donne deux billets d’opéra. 

Le 3 aout 1800 :   Je peins la main du petit Lambert d’après Jules : Je ne sais ce que je fais."²

Danloux studied with both Joseph-Marie Vien and Nicolas-Bernard Lépicié and met Jacques-Louis David during a trip to Rome in the late 1770s. The influence of these artists, encountered in his formative years, remained palpable on Danloux for the rest of his career; it is particularly evident in his expressive faces and capacity for conveying human emotion. Danloux soon established himself as a talented genre painter and portraitist, spending time in both Italy and France. In 1785 he moved to Paris where he met the Baronne d'Etigny, who helped him obtain a number of importrant portrait commissions and two years later he married the Baronne's adopted daughter Marie-Pierrerre-Antoinette de Saint Redan. After eighteen months in Italy, the couple settled in Paris but were forced to flee to London in 1791 to escape the Revolution. By then, Danloux was at the height of his career; adapting to life in London with ease, he swiftly became renowned in the city's artistic and collecting circles alike, and this elegant portrait is a testament to his popularity among the English aristocracy at the turn of the century.

1. "J'eus la visite de M.Dellon qui me dit avoir dîné la veille chez la Margrave d'Anspach avec Mme Lambert, belle-fille du Chevalier Lambert, banquier à Paris. Un rendez-vous fut pris chez moi parce qu'elle désirait voir mes ouvrages. Elle arrivait un instant après, reconnut tous les portraits des personnes de sa connaissance, demanda mes prix et dit qu'elle me présenterait son mari" (See literature, Portalis 1910, pp. 246-247, 418-436). 
2. Ibid.