François-Hubert Drouais

In the family of the present collector since the early 1900s. 

The canvas is lined. The painting presents an elegant figure with the details well preserved, especially in the lovely cloth of the dress and textured embroidery, where you can still feel the original impasto. Thin craquelure is visible, as with the background at left, but this is stable. Inspection under UV shows some thin and finely applied inpainting to address the craquelure, for example on the background on the left and right side of the sitter and on the sitter's exposed chest. The painting is in overall good condition and can hang in its present state. Offered in a circular gilded frame with some minor scratches and an elegantly shaped top that has some separations typical from wear and tear.
"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."

Born Jeanne-Antoinette Poisson, the Marquise de Pompadour was the maîtresse en titre, or official mistress, of King Louis XV.  As an arbiter of taste she was instrumental in the course of the development of eighteenth-century French painting, and her influence on the King and public policy, even beyond arts and culture, cannot be understated. 

The present work relates to the final portrait that the Marquise de Pompadour, commonly known as Madame de Pompadour, commissioned of herself, which was painted by Drouais in 1763-4 and is now in the National Gallery, London (fig. 1).  In that magnificent and large-scale work, Madame de Pompadour is shown seated at her tambour frame, looking directly at the viewer, surrounded by luxurious objects which were very carefully chosen to convey her education, devotion to the arts, loyalty to the King, and femininity. 

Madame de Pompadour sat to Drouais three times, and was so pleased with his depiction of her that she had him paint multiple versions.  The prime example of the present work, now in the Musée des Beaux-Arts, Orleans (inv. 385), is considered to be an earlier portrait and study for the larger painting now in London.  Both the Orléans portrait and the present example show the esteemed subject wearing a white muff, with a neutral background save for the back of her giltwood chair.  Versions of the portrait which show her at her tambour frame or include any of the other details of the London picture would have been completed after that portrait.