

According to Commandant Henri Lachouque, author of La vie militaire du général Baron Solignac (1773-1850), Robert Lefèvre painted the portrait of Baroness Solignac and her eldest son while she was staying in Paris in 1809. Lefèvre was then at the height of his fame, having painted 'Madame Mère', Napoleon's mother, in 1806, as well as his sister Princess Pauline Borghese. The high quality of the present painting reflects Lefèvre's talent as a portrait painter. The portrait of the Baron, General Solignac, with his eldest daughter, is later. Henri Lachouque dates it to 1815, when the Baron had just been removed from active service. The painting's quality is less consistent than in the portrait of his wife, and was probably painted by Lefèvre and his workshop.