“Ante Mare Undae”
The motto of the Rochechouart family translates literally as “Before the Sea, the Waves.” It is, however, generally understood as: “Before the sea existed, Rochechouart already bore the waves,” a phrase that can sometimes be found accompanying the family’s coat of arms. In a poetic and metaphorical way, it perfectly expresses the legendary as well as historical antiquity of the House of Rochechouart and attests to the age of one of the oldest and most prestigious families in France.
This is not merely a centuries-old family, but a millennium-old one, for its origins can be traced back beyond the year 1000. Remarkably, its lineage can be followed continuously down to the present day, unlike so many noble families whose branches have long since died out. The House of Rochechouart is generally regarded as the oldest surviving aristocratic family in France, preceded in antiquity only by the Capetian dynasty.
The union of Aimery VII, Viscount of Rochechouart (1180–1242), and Alix de Mortemart (c. 1165–c. 1255) brought together the names of Rochechouart and Mortemart. From their marriage descend the two branches of the House of Rochechouart that survive today: that of the Marquises of Rochechouart and that of the Dukes of Mortemart.
The paintings from the Rochechouart de Mortemart family collection offered in the sales of 9 and 10 June, together with the Asian works of art featured in the sales of 12 and 13 June, reflect the grandeur and historical depth of a family that distinguished itself at every major moment in French history, from the First Crusade to the First World War.
The seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, represented in these auctions by the numerous family portraits on offer, were particularly glorious for the Rochechouart de Mortemart family. Gabriel de Rochechouart de Mortemart (1600–1675; lot 120 in the auction of June 10th) was among its most illustrious members. A close companion of Louis XIII from childhood and a skilled court diplomat, he successfully navigated relations with both Cardinal Richelieu and Anne of Austria, who, while serving as Regent during the minority of Louis XIV, granted him the titles of Duke and Peer of France.
The children of Gabriel and his wife, Diane de Grandseigne, also played significant roles during the reign of Louis XIV. Marie-Madeleine became Abbess of Fontevraud (see lot 129 in the auction of June 10th), while Françoise-Athénaïs—the celebrated Marquise de Montespan—became the Sun King’s favourite for a decade and bore him seven children, among them Louis-Alexandre, Count of Toulouse (see lot 30 in the auction on June 9th).
The Rochechouart de Mortemart family likewise remained in royal favour under Louis XV, as demonstrated by the majestic Portrait of Louis XV from the studio of Jean-Baptiste van Loo (see lot 29 in the auction of June 9th), a likeness commissioned by the king in numerous versions as gifts for the most eminent members of the court.
The marriage of Arthur-Casimir de Rochechouart de Mortemart and Hélène Vogt d’Hunolstein in 1880 united the branch descending from Nicolas de Brisacier (see lot 27 in the auction on June 9th) with that of the Rochechouart de Mortemart family. This branch included François (lot 28 in the auction on June 9th), Jacques-Gustave (lot 124 in the auction of June 10th), Jean-François de Malortie (lot 31 in the auction on June 9th), Anne de Sarrau (lot 28 in the auction on June 9th), and, through descent, the Vogt d’Hunolstein family (lot 137 in the auction of June 10th). Through this line, the Château de Hombourg—still owned today by the Count of Mortemart and the source of many of the lots offered here—became one of the family’s emblematic estates.
It is therefore a great honour for Sotheby’s Paris to present, across several sales and ten years after the dispersal of the contents of the family château of Réveillon, a distinguished group of paintings, Asian works of art, and furniture from the collection of the Rochechouart de Mortemart family.
