François-Xavier Fabre

Seminaire de St. Sulpice, Paris;
Jules Guérin, Paris;
Dr. Mersch, Paris;
With Ehrich Galleries, New York;
With Robert C. Vose, Boston;
Arthur J. Secor, acquired in 1924;
By whom given to the The Toledo Museum of Art, Toledo, Ohio (acc. no. 24.33);
By whom de-accessioned, New York, Christie's, 14 January 2014, lot 39 (as French School, 19th century), where acquired by the present owner.

Toledo, Ohio, The Toledo Museum of Art, Catalogue of Portraits and Portraiture throughout the Ages, selected from the Museum's Permanent Collections, 3 - 31 October 1937, no. 25;
Springfield, MA, Springfield Museum of Art; New York, Knoedler Gallery, David and Ingres: paintings and drawings, 1939-1940, no. 7 (as David);
Montreal, Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, Masterpieces of Painting;
New York, Century Association, Sculpture by Houdon, paintings and drawings by David : loan exhibition, 19 February - 10 April 1947;
Toronto, Art Gallery; Toledo, Toledo Museum of Art, Two Cities Collect, January - April 1948, no. 10;
Winnipeg, Winnipeg Art Gallery, French Pre-Impressionist Painters of the Nineteenth Century: Paintings, Watercolors, Drawings, Graphics, 10 April - 5 May 1954, no. 5.

Toledo Museum News, No. 66, September 1933, reproduced;
B.-M. Godwin, Toledo Museum of Art, Catalogue of European Paintings, Toledo 1939, p. 168, reproduced p. 169;
L. Hautecoeur, Louis David, Paris 1954, p. 168;
D.L. Dowd, "Art and the Theater During the French Revolution: The Role of Louis David," in Art Quarterly, vol. 23, Spring 1960;
The Toledo Museum of Art, The European Paintings, Toledo 1976, p. 389 (as Follower of Jacques-Louis David).

Oil on canvas, lined. While the surface appears to have been recently cleaned, there are areas of discoloration in the background potentially associated to seams and/or stretcher bar marks. Minor areas of abrasion and thinness, especially in the sitter's cravat and costume. A stable web of craquelure is visible over the entire surface. Under UV light, the majority of the work is obscured by a green fluorescing varnish. The aforementioned seams around the figure's upper body have been retouched; there is also a line of retouching that extends from the top of the figure's head to the upper edge of the canvas. Scattered dots and dashes of retouching, especially to the subject's black frock coat, as well as to the background. Additional scattered retouching in his hands and a few small scattered spots around his nose, in his cheeks and hair.
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.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Based on images, Dr. Laure Pellicer has identified this portrait to be a work by François-Xavier Fabre. She believes the portrait to depict the Chevalier de Vernègues who was appointed  by Louis  18^th as the Resident Minister in Tuscany in 1818.