18th-century Pastel, Portrait Of Mademoiselle Delamarre, Attributed To Lépicié Or Jeaurat De Bertry

An important 18th-century pastel portrait depicting a mature woman, identified by an old inscription on the back as “Mademoiselle Delamarre.”

The subject is depicted seated in an interior, looking toward the viewer. She wears an elegant silk dress with blue and coral floral motifs, lavishly embellished with lace on the bodice and sleeves, as well as a lace headpiece framing her powdered hair. She holds a small object in her hand, likely a case or a box.

The face is rendered with great presence and naturalness. Particular attention is paid to the depiction of the fabrics, the floral motifs, and especially the lace, whose translucency is delicately rendered.

The reverse side retains a particularly interesting old handwritten label identifying the model and providing information about her lineage. It also bears the inscription:

“This pastel, cleaned in June 1877, is attributed to Lépicié (Nicolas Bernard, 1735–1784) or to Jeaurat de Bertry (Nicolas-Henri).”

This inscription constitutes an old attribution, which we report with caution, as we are currently unable to formally confirm the authorship of either artist.

Nicolas-Bernard Lépicié (1735–1784), a French painter and draftsman, was a member of the Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture. Nicolas-Henri Jeaurat de Bertry (1728–1796), also a member of the Academy, was notably the painter to Queen Marie-Antoinette.

The pastel is mounted under glass in an antique gilded wooden frame.