- 115
François-Xavier Vispré
Estimate
8,000 - 12,000 USD
bidding is closed
Description
- François-Xavier Vispré
- Portrait of Maria, later Marchioness of Hereford, when a child
- signed center right: Vispré
- oil on canvas
Provenance
Anonymous sale, New York, Sotheby's, 17 January, 1986, lot 135;
There acquired by the present collector.
There acquired by the present collector.
Condition
Overall the painting presents a detailed, strong image and the paint surface is clean beneath a clear varnish. The canvas has a modern glue relining. There appears to be an old restored L-shaped tear to the background upper right and a very minor loss to the background upper left with some scuffs to the varnish surrounding it.
Inspection under UV reveals isolated very fine lines of retouching in the figure with older retouching here and there in the face and chest, and in the right side of the cushion. There is some minor retouching attending to the frame abrasion at the edges.
The painting can be hung as is. Offered in a decoratively carved gilt 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.
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.
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.
Catalogue Note
The sitter of this charming portrait is Maria Emilia Fagnani, the illegitimate daughter of the dancer Marchesa Fagnani. In 1798, she married Francis Seymour-Conway, Earl of Yarmouth, the son and heir of the 2nd Marquess of Hereford, whose family would form the Wallace Collection in London. Though he was an avid collector of Dutch and Flemish paintings, it was their son, the 4th Marquess of Hereford, who formed the core of the collection by purchasing such important pictures as Frans Hals' The Laughing Cavalier and Rembrandt's Titus. It was then his illegitimate son, Sir Richard Wallace, who inherited the collection and bequeathed it to the nation to form the museum.
Though Maria separated from her husband by moving to Paris after their third child was born, they never divorced, so when he inherited the title as 3rd Marquess, she became Marchioness of Hereford.
Though Maria separated from her husband by moving to Paris after their third child was born, they never divorced, so when he inherited the title as 3rd Marquess, she became Marchioness of Hereford.