ATTRIBUTED TO PHILIPPE DE CHAMPAIGNE AND STUDIO | Portrait of Louis XIII

The Rt. Hon. Lord Margadale of Islay, T.D., Fonthill House, Tisbury, Wiltshire;
By whom sold, London, Christies, 2 July 1965, lot 61 (as "P. de Champaigne"), for 280 Guineas to Dent;
Anonymous sale ("Property of an East Coast Institution"), New York, Sotheby's, 29 January 2015, lot 379;
There acquired by the present owner. 

The following condition report has been provided by Simon Parkes of Simon Parkes Art Conservation, Inc. 502 East 74th St. New York, NY 212-734-3920, simonparkes@msn.com, an independent restorer who is not an employee of Sotheby's. This work on canvas has been lined using wax as an adhesive, which could certainly be re-examined. The original canvas is joined horizontally through the center of the picture. In addition to the restorations along this canvas join, there are others that have been rather broadly and sloppily applied in many other areas. The details in the lace, armor and face seem to still be quite sharp. It is probably fair to say that if the work were properly restored, including reversing the old wax lining and retouching more economically and thoughtfully, the work would be seen to be in very respectable condition.
"This lot is offered for sale subject to Sotheby's Conditions of Business, which are available on request and printed in Sotheby's sale catalogues. The independent reports contained in this document are provided for prospective bidders' information only and without warranty by Sotheby's or the Seller."

This painting depicts Louis XIII standing in full armor on a terrace, resting his hand on a plumed helmet.  Champaigne portrayed the king a number of times and this portrait most closely resembles in composition a work now in the Eglise du Val-de-Grâce, Paris, which was published by Bernard Dorival as a work from the artist’s studio.¹  There are a number of differences between the two portraits:  in the Paris picture, the king is shown holding a long metal rod, instead of the military baton decorated with fleur-de-lis depicted in this version; his collar is much smaller than in the present canvas, and he wears a white sash across his chest in the opposite direction.  There are also other slight differences in the costumes and background draperies. Louis XIII ruled as King of France from 1610-1643.  His mother was Marie de’Medici who acted as regent during his minority.  In 1615 he married Anne of Austria, daughter of Philip III of Spain.  Louis relied heavily on his chief minister, Cardinal Richelieu, giving him enormous power and influence in governing the country.  He was succeeded by his son, Louis XIV.

1.  See B. Dorival, Supplément au Catalogue raisonné de l’oeuvre de Philippe de Champaigne, Paris 1992, p. 117, cat. no. XV, reproduced opp. P. 112.