Armand-julien Pallière (franco-brésilien, 1784-1862) Portrait De Françoise, Princesse Du Brésil

Portrait of a young lady with flowers in her hair and a mountain landscape on the background was executed before 1844 and due to the details of the author‘s biography and physiognomic similarity depicts Franzisca Princess of Joinville, born Princess of Brazil (1824 -1898). For comparison see other portraits of the same sitter on our additional images.

Francisca was born on 2 August 1824 in the Palace of São Cristóvão, in Rio de Janeiro, capital of the Empire of Brazil. Her name in full was Francisca Carolina Joana Carlota Leopoldina Romana Xavier de Paula Micaela Gabriela Rafaela Gonzaga. Through her father, Emperor Dom Pedro I, she was a member of the Brazilian branch of the House of Braganza (Portuguese: Bragança) and was referred to using the honorific "Dona" (Lady) from birth. Her mother was the Archduchess Maria Leopoldina of Austria, daughter of Franz II, the last Holy Roman Emperor. Through her, Francisca was a niece of Napoleon Bonaparte and first cousin of Emperors Napoleon II of France, Franz Joseph I (Francis Joseph I) of Austria-Hungary and Don Maximiliano I (Maximilian I) of Mexico. Francisca married Prince François of Orléans, third son of Louis Philippe I and his Italian Queen Maria Amalia of Naples. François, called the Prince of Joinville, and Francisca married in Rio de Janeiro on 1 May 1843. The bride was 19, the groom 25. Her portrait was painted when she arrived in Paris, in 1844, by Ary Scheffer (coll. Musée de la Vie romantique, Paris).

The author of this fine portrait is French painter, designer, decorator, engraver and teacher Armand Julien Pallière (1784: Bordeaux, France – 1862 idem), who spent many years in Brazil and created a seria of portraits of Brazilian high society and Royal house.
Armand-Julien exhibits at the Salon from 1808 until his departure in 1817 for South America. During the voyage aboard the SMS Augusta, he met Marie-Leopoldine of Austria (1797-1826), the future Empress of Brazil. This meeting opened him the doors of the Brazilian court where the future Emperor Peter I (1798-1834) commissioned a series of portraits as well as several views of the capital Rio de Janeiro.

Provenance: purchased from a private estate in Fontainebleau, France.

Literature: artist lexicons by Thieme/Becker (in German), by Benezit (in French); in on-line: Brazilian Art Encyclopedia ( in Portuguese); Belluzzo, Ana Maria Moraes. The Travelers ' Brazil. Metalivros, Sao Paulo, 1994.

Inscription: signed right in the middle A.Palliere (A and P ligated).

Technique: oil on canvas. Luxuriousy original period gold-plated frame.

Measurements: unframed w 8 1/2" x 29 1/2" (21,5 x 25 cm); framed 14 1/8" x 15 1/8 " (36 x 38,5 cm).

Condition: in good condition, professional cleaned, no paintlosses or inpaintings, original canvas